#Diesel Engine Internal Parts

[maxiforcefl]

JOHN DEERE 9.0L / 6090 VALVES 

The Maxiforce Tech Tip for John Deere 9.0L 6090 engine valves provides detailed guidance on the proper maintenance and adjustment of these valves. The article emphasizes the importance of correct valve adjustment for optimal engine performance and longevity, covering procedures, tools, and specific tips to ensure accurate valve settings. 

[seat-safety-switch]

Throughout university, there was one immutable truth of the world: it's good to get a big paper done the night before it's due. In fact, not only is it good, but it's cool: all that time you saved by procrastinating was spent more productively, socializing and agonizing about the upcoming deadline. In adulthood, I've kept up the theme of waiting until the very last minute to do everything.

All this is to say it wasn't a big surprise when the bank dumped a bunch of "past due" bills on my porch, along with a very angry-looking debt collector. In case you are unfamiliar, credit cards actually have to get paid off, even if you only used them to buy several thousand pounds of 1970s Mopar junk. Furthermore, not only did I procrastinate in paying the bill off, but I was doing so in order to distract myself from not having bothered to get a job in order to pay for the bill in the first place.

The debt collector is unmoved by my argument that the things I purchased with MasterCard's imaginary money are completely worthless. He really isn't swayed by my proposal that the bank should thank me for providing a valuable deflationary counterweight to runaway government spending. He steps past me and starts looking for things of value to loot from my home, in order to pay off what I owe them.

After a few minutes, I bring him a lukewarm glass of water (from the neighbour's garden hose; I forgot to pay for water service too) and ask how it's going. He looks very confused, on the verge of tears even. Every other house has something of value he can seize. Furniture. Cars. Electronics. The copper in the walls. Here, in my squalid pit of shitbox, surrounded by obscure Italian moped carburetors, Soviet diesel engine parts, and only the absolute worst domestic car parts known to man, his internal value-o-meter has got to be trending somewhere near zero.

It is no longer "worth it" for him to be here, he finally admits, and he simply walks out through the ragged hole in the side of my house that those raccoons left last winter. I gotta get around to fixing that, before any guests come over.

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Neighbors 🩵 Lovers

Part Four

Shutting his door, he placed his sturdy back against it. His head collided gently with the surface and he shut his eyes tightly. An even breath escaped his nose and his built chest rose up and down. Diesel’s barking brought his attention down to his pit bull. Erik slid down his door until his bottom touched the floor. Diesel relaxed next to him and Erik rubbed his back. His obsidian eyes stared off into space, but his mind replayed scenes from the night’s festivities over and over.

He dragged his other hand down his face.

Faedra McAdams almost made him say those three words.

Erik brought his left knee up and rested his elbow there while stroking his bottom lip with his thumb. He couldn’t believe it. From the outside looking in, you’d think he’d only known her for several weeks. Truth is, he’d known her for months. Five long months. From a distance. Through his telephoto lens while parked in a car or on a rooftop at night through a 10-power scope.

To understand why, it’s best to know what Erik does for a living more extensively. He is a Mercenary nicknamed Killmonger turned professional Hitman and a top agent for the International Contract Agency. Both Killmonger and his partner, Diana, work together during missions and she controls what jobs he’s hired to take on.

Before the ICA discovered Erik, he was a JSOC Special Ops who was kidnapped and became the product of a HYDRA experiment. The Winter Soldiers were HYDRA's elite group of assassins that were administered with Howard Stark's version of the Super Soldier Serum. Due to the mental side effects caused by Stark's serum, the Winter Soldiers were all kept in cryostasis at the HYDRA Siberian Facility, during which they were killed by Helmut Zemo. All except for Killmonger who escaped.

His genetically-engineered and enhanced body and mind (combined with his extensive knowledge and training) made him become the world's deadliest and most efficient assassin. Killmonger was a relatively emotionless assassin until Fae came into the picture. He couldn’t understand how this woman altered his controlled lifestyle so much. For once, Erik was able to relax and be himself. He was able to have real emotions.

The Ghost Fugitive was his current elusive mission he’d been hired to do months ago but Erik stalled because of Fae. He decided to move into an apartment here to keep an eye on his target. He was told to eliminate everyone involved or suspected to be involved. Instead of getting the job done, he purposefully dragged himself. He knew soon enough, Diana would come along asking questions. And that’s why he’s currently stressing. How was he going to explain this to Diana?

Erik’s phone buzzed and he turned his hip to retrieve it from his back pocket. Looking down at his phone, he paused when he’d seen her name. He hated the way he left her. She’s probably in her apartment right now questioning his change of plans. She’s probably blaming herself. Erik picked himself up from the floor and took off his shoes. He placed his jacket on the couch and took a seat.

Erik’s leg bounced as he tried to figure out what to say. She’s probably overthinking.

It wasn’t okay. He fell for her. He wasn’t supposed to fall for her.

She did have a point. He was supposed to be snugged behind her in her bed—well, that bitch nigga slept there too. He’d much rather she be in his bed right now. Cuddling with Fae beneath his sheets sounded so much better.

Erik stood up from his couch and strolled over to his door. He could see Fae leaving her apartment with Deuce in her pajamas. She knocked on his door and Erik opened it quickly. Fae slipped inside with Deuce in her arms and he shut the door. Fae’s big brown eyes looked up at him and Erik looked down at her beautiful face. Fae had her braids up in a messy bun and the cutest nightgown on. One of those nightgowns you get from Target.

“Hi.” She greeted him with a soft-spoken voice.

“Hi.” Erik replied.

“You wanted to talk?” Fae questioned.

Her eyes followed Diesel as he walked up to her. He sniffed her feet in a pair of Ugg Tasman slippers. She placed Deuce down on the floor and both dogs scurried off.

“Yeah,” Erik reached out for her hand, “Let’s go to my room.”

Fae took his hand and they walked to his room. Once inside, Erik cracked his door. Fae climbed onto his bed and kicked off her slippers. Erik took off his cargo pants and settled next to Fae. She was resting on her side while her head is propped up in her hand.

“…I’m sorry that I stormed off. I just…I was worried about Cordell popping up unexpectedly. I was thinkin’ about how he comes home every night after doing whatever the fuck it is that he’s doing and just…laying next to you after all that like shit is cool is fucked up to me. It’s manipulative. I don’t like it.”

Fae listened intently. Her eyes blinked slowly at Erik.

“…you’re too sweet, too beautiful, too much of a good woman to endure that. I love that you’re cheating back, I love that you let me do you in your apartment. I love it, I just don’t like that he’s still there…with access to you…and for that I’m sorry. It’s not my place to feel that way. You don’t owe me an explanation, ma.”

Erik turned away and stared down at his hands. Fae sat up on her knees and grabbed Erik’s shoulder. He looked up at her through his curled lashes. Fae’s eyes scanned his handsome face before she scooted closer, pressing her soft lips against his. Erik’s brows furrowed and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in closer. Fae swung a leg over him and plopped down in his lap. They kissed for a while, Erik’s fingertips rubbing up and down the dip in her spine, Fae’s hands tugging on his locs.

Erik broke their kiss and he stared into Fae’s eyes before his gaze dropped down. He couldn’t look at her without those three words echoing in his conscious. Fae kisses along his neck, causing Erik to grunt.

“Faedra,” Erik said with a hushed tone.

“Hm?”

Fae’s face was so close to his that their noses touched.

“You’re asking for it, girl…”

Fae giggled softly, “What if I am?”

Erik’s low eyes stared her down. Fae bites her lip and Erik licked his own. Fae leaned back and grabbed the bottom of her nightgown, lifting it up and over her head in one motion. Erik’s eyes fell to her breasts with stiff, brown nipples. His hands came up to palm them and Fae grabbed his face, pulling him in for another kiss. Erik’s hands roamed all over her body. He couldn’t get over how soft her skin felt.

“Don’t think, just fuck me,” Fae shoved Erik and he fell back against the bed, “Let me ride it.”

She didn’t give Erik any time to pull his briefs down. Fae’s dainty hands tugged with force and his dick bobbed out and stood tall, pointed towards her mouth. Fae slid down his body in a rush and wrapped her plump lips around his tip.

“Fuck, girl,” Erik hissed, “Damn…”

Fae swallowed him and she gagged a little. Erik’s hand curled around the base of her head and he forced his dick deeper. So deep that his balls were almost touching her chin.

Fae drew back and started sucking his length down her throat. Erik’s toes dragged across the carpet of his bedroom floor and his thigh muscles flexed. This is probably the best head he’d had in a long time. She had him shaking.

“Dayum,” Erik formed a crease in his brow and pouted his lip, “You’re such a nasty girl….ughhhhh—”

His orgasm caught him off guard. He fell back against the bed completely and dragged both of his hands down his face in disbelief. Fae’s lips popped off his thick pipe and she licked her lips before climbing up and straddling him. She squatted over him and Erik held her up with his hands beneath her ass.

Fae aimed his fat tip at her wet hole and she circled her hips over his sensitive head before slowly lowering her hips. They both sigh in unison. She placed her hands on his chest, arched her back, folded her feet beneath his strapping thighs, and bounced. Erik’s hands fell to his sides and he stared up at her with his eyes ablaze.

“Uhuh, Uhuh, Uhuh, Uhuh,” Fae moaned.

“You love this fuckin’ dick…look how you’re taking it,” Erik bites his lip, “Don’t stop.”

Fae forced her eyes shut and focused her attention on giving Erik the best ride he’s ever had. The sound of her wet pussy and skin slapping against his thighs filled the room. Fae’s braids fell from her bun and crowded her face. One of her hands came up to grip Erik by the jaw and her eyes crossed.

“You cumming? That pussy cumming?” Erik questioned with a soft voice.

Fae could only nod her head.

“You’re so fucking sexy—”

“Oh!”

Fae fell and she was pressed against Erik. Erik wrapped his arms around her and rolled over so that she was on her back again. He dragged her towards the edge of the bed and spread her thighs. With her ankles in his hands, Erik stood up and started fucking her. Fae clung to the sheets for dear life. Erik watched the way his fat dick split her pussy open wide. That clit was poking out at him, her labia was spread open and wrapped around his dick like a pair of lips, his dick was glossy from her arousal. It was beautiful.

“Erik!” Fae shouted.

He hunched over her and wrapped his hands around her neck. She looked up at him with surprise and her mouth agape.

“Oh! Uh! Yes! Daddy!”

Her body seized up and her eyes almost rolled to the back of her head.

“I love making you cum, baby…”

He slipped out and Fae gasped. Erik picked her up and placed her on her stomach with her head on a pillow. Fae’s hand slipped beneath his pillow and she could feel weighted steel. She withdrew her hand quickly and Erik noticed. Fae looked back at him over her shoulder and Erik's eyes were steady on hers while his hand slipped beneath the pillow to grip the handle.

“Why do you keep it under your pillow?” Fae asked.

Erik revealed his GLOCK G20 and sat it down carefully on his bedside table with the barrel pointed in the opposite direction.

“Just a habit.” Erik said.

He spread her thighs a little so he could find her entrance. Fae’s eyes shut when his dick pushed inside deep. He propped himself up on his fists behind her and he fucked her in flat doggy-style.

Fae smashed her left cheek against the pillow and both of her hands fisted the sheets. The constant clapping and bouncing of the mattress was enough to prove how deep Erik was dickin’ Fae down.

“You’re mine..your ass is mine,” Erik said with a shaky voice from the way Fae’s pussy clenched around him.

“Yes! Yes!” Fae shouted.

Erik dropped to his knees and grabbed Fae by her braids. One hand came down on her ass with a wide open palm.

“Bring that ass up,” Erik watched with hard eyes as Fae arched her back, “Good girl…”

He went in like he never stopped. Erik used Fae’s hair to turn her head so she could look back at him. Hot tears stained her cheeks. Tears of ecstasy. Erik released her hair and placed one hand around the front of her neck. His hot tongue slipped into her drooling mouth and he licked and sucked all over her lips.

“Mhm…mmmmm,” Fae could only moan.

“You wanna cum, don’t you?” Erik spoke against her lips with a smirk.

“Please?!” Fae begged with a whiny voice.

“Ask me better than that, Fae.”

Erik released her and Fae dropped forward, hiding her face when Erik started going faster. In and out his thick pipe thrusted.

“Ask me…,” Erik whacked her across the ass again, “Open your mouth and ask me, Fae.”

“Daddy–Daddy please?—can I cum?” She spoke with a hushed tone.

“You wanna bust on this dick you better fix your arch!!!”

Fae whimpered as she pushed herself up and arched her back. Erik hummed in approval and it sent a shiver up her spine so intense her shoulders buckled. Even the kiss he placed in the center of her spine made her gasp as if she’d been doused in cold water.

“Better?” Fae replied with a trembling voice.

“Good girl, that’s my good girl!!!”

Fae couldn’t believe how fucking wet she was. That dick was sliding in and out her pussy with ease. She felt a heat in the pit of her belly and it caused tears to stream down her cheeks. She almost saw heaven. It was that intense. An out of body experience. Like her soul left its vessel for a brief intermission. She didn’t even have to announce her release, Erik felt it.

“Oh, yeah? Oh fuck yeah,” Erik grunted, “FUCK.”

He slipped out and his hot cum painted her backside. Fae dropped down on the bed like she’d been knocked out. Erik sat back on his haunches and tried to catch his breath. He was sweating so much that it dripped from his nose.

“Fae?” Erik called out to her, “You okay?”

“…mhm.”

Erik’s chest was burning from trying to catch his breath. He carefully climbed off of the bed and walked up to Fae. He smoothed her braids from her face and wasn’t surprised to find her sleeping. He palmed her booty and gave it a light slap. She squirmed and scrunched her face in such a cute way.

“I love you.” Erik said.

“Mhm.” Fae responded.

Erik knew she didn’t really hear him. But damn, he wanted her to. So bad. He grew to love her from a distance before they officially met. It was hard to explain. It hit him so fast. What was supposed to be a mission turned out to be a pleasant distraction. Erik honestly didn’t know if they would ever be together. That stung worse than the blade once wedged in his side.

Erik brought the sheets over Fae’s body and she snuggled against one of his pillows. Erik went to take a piss and when he returned he could hear his work phone vibrating. His chest grew tight with anticipation as he retrieved the phone from his side table drawer. Bringing the screen to his gaze, he shut his eyes briefly.

Diana.

Erik walked out of his room, cracking the door behind him before walking into his office. He cracked the door and answered the call.

“Meet me at Liberty State Park.”

She didn’t even wait for a response from Erik before ending the call abruptly. Erik slowly moved the phone away from his ear. He knew exactly what this was about.

Twinkling night sky, glassy ink-black water, and the reflection of the New York skyline ablaze with many lights was the view that greeted Erik’s eyes. Hands in his all black hoodie pockets, he spotted the statuesque figure of Diana with her back turned towards him. She glanced over her shoulder and her golden eyes met his briefly before she tore them away.

Erik took his place beside her silently, eyes scanning the lively city. His black Doc Martens tapped the concrete impatiently. The forty-five minute drive over felt like a waste. Whatever she has to say she could have said over the phone.

“Killmonger.” Diana greeted him.

“Diana.”

Erik looked at her with a tight jaw.

“The Ghost Fugitive.”

Erik exhaled.

“I’m handling it—”

“Faedra McAdams has been a distraction, Killmonger. Since when do you get distracted?”

Erik remained silent. He had no reason to argue Diana’s point. He had been distracted and thrown off his game.

“Do you know how long it took? Do you understand that if you don’t end this now, it would have been for nothing?” Diana said.

“Listen—”

“I know you don’t care about politics, Killmonger, but we decided to do this together because of the ICA. We can’t allow ourselves to be manipulated. You know all about manipulation, don’t you?”

Diana fully turned to stare at Erik. Her wind blown shoulder-length hair fell into her eyes and she combed her hair away. The chilly air caused her to slightly shiver.

“They’re asking questions. Do you want them to step in?”

“No.” Erik replied begrudgingly.

“Let me give you a brief reminder of how the ICA system works, Killmonger. You get three penalties. Three,” Diana emphasized the number three with her fingers, “which is generous compared to other agencies like HYDRA, but after those three strikes are up, they send a top agent such as yourself, to eliminate the Assassin. You should know about that, you do it all the time.”

Erik closed his eyes and released an even breath.

“I’m aware of the logistics, I know what the fuck I’m up against—”

“Then get it done. You have until the start of the Bankok job. If you have to burn it to dispose of your little distraction, do it. Otherwise…”

Diana retrieved an all black pistol from the back of her tight black pants and Erik’s eyes didn’t leave hers. He knew that Diana would kill Faedra. Without hesitation. In that case, he’d have to kill her. No one was going to lay a finger on Fae.

“…I’ll do it for you.”

Silence stretched on for another five seconds until Erik’s sinister chuckle caused Diana to narrow her eyes.

“…Let me make myself clear, Diana,” Erik rolled his shoulders in a threatening manner and his voice took on a deeper more menacing tone, “I’ll kill you.”

Erik’s face was centimeters away from Diana’s. His eyes didn’t blink and they looked cold and dark.

“…You don’t touch her. You don’t speak to her. You don’t even breathe around her.”

Diana’s eyes narrowed at Erik and that pistol was still in her grasp.

“Partner or not, I’ll put a bullet between your eyes, Diana,” Erik looked her up and down, “Do we have an understanding?”

“How dare you—”

“I SAID…do we have an understanding—”

“How long have you known about her? Five months?! What will she think when she finds out who you really are? Then what? You think she’ll love you, Erik? You’re incapable of love. Maybe I should remind you about what you did all those years ago to your ex. You almost killed that woman. If Fae was in her right mind, she would run so far away from you—”

Erik snatched up Diana’s gun and pointed it at her forehead. Diana stared at him wide-eyed and he could see the fear beyond her gaze. He took the safety off of the pistol and Diana stared into the barrel.

“You don’t talk about my past, Diana. You don’t get to stand there and fucking judge me. You don’t know what the fuck I’ve been through!”

Diana stared at Erik with a stony expression.

“Get that gun out my face, Erik.” Diana commands with a low, threatening tone.

Erik didn’t do it right away. After another minute he slowly lowered the gun and placed it behind him in the waistband of his pants. Dianna scuffed and shook her head before creating space between them.

“Doesn’t matter. If I don’t kill her, they will.” Diana said matter-of-factually.

“I’ll get it done. Get off my ass about it.” Erik replied.

Diana looked at Erik with disappointment. He could feel her judgment through her hard gaze.

“Have you been training for the Bangkok job?”

Club 27 is Killmonger’s current high-profile mission. He’s tasked to kill Jordan Cross and Ken Morgan. One year ago, promising young actress, Hannah Highmoore, fell to her death from Cross' penthouse loft in Dumbo, New York. According to the police, Ms. Highmoore's death was a tragic accident but her parents remain unconvinced. They firmly believe that Cross murdered Hannah and only escaped justice due to the power and influence of his father: billionaire media mogul Thomas Cross.

A secondary target, Ken Morgan, corporate fixer and attorney to the Cross family, is also staying at the hotel. Cunning and unscrupulous, Morgan was a key agent in the cover-up of Hannah Highmoore's murder and Jordan Cross' subsequent acquittal. The Highmoores understandably want retribution. And while the system may be powerless, Killmonger is anything but.

“There’s a room waiting for me at the Himmapan Hotel as we speak.” Erik replied with a dry tone.

“In that case, we’re done talking.”

Diana turned to leave and Erik caught her by the arm. She didn’t look back at him.

“…I’m really sorry about putting that gun in your face. I don’t take threats lightly.”

“What a way to apologize,” Diana chuckled, “it’s just a phase, right? You fuck her?”

Erik released Diana’s arm and she finally faced him with a sly smirk.

“You did. Oh, Killmonger…”

Erik looked at her with unblinking eyes. Diana held her hand out for her gun and Erik lifted the back of his hoodie up, retrieving the pistol. He placed it in Diana’s hand and she accepted it.

“Expect a debrief in two weeks…”

Diana walked away, leaving Erik alone to his thoughts.

Fae tried to calm him down. Her tears flooded her vision. Cordell stood there with his hands up and a frightened look in his eyes. Erik was in full rage mode. It was understandable, Cordell was really asking for it.

“I’ll kill you for what you did to her!” Erik barked out.

They were standing on the rooftop of the apartment building.

“Erik, listen to me, put the gun down.”

Fae placed one hand on his arm tenderly. Her eyes were pleading with him to put the gun down. He took one look at Fae and then his eyes were back on Cordell molten hot. He lowers his P365 slowly, eyes unblinking.

Thump!

Fae watched with wide eyes and her mouth dropped open in shock.

Erik kicked Cordell off of the rooftop. Erik watched with sinister eyes as his body dropped to his death.

Erik!

He looked back at her with a villainous smile.

Fae opened her eyes and her heartbeat settled to a lower rhythm. Sleeping on Erik’s bed felt like sleeping on a cloud. Fae yawned and her sleepy eyes looked down at Erik’s side of the bed. She had a nightmare about Erik and Cordell fighting over her. It ended with Cordell falling to his demise. Fae sat up fully and climbed out of bed to use the bathroom.

When she returned after freshening up, she stared down at his Glock on the bedside table. Fae reached out and picked up the heavy gun. She turned it every which way, wondering to herself if it was a habit of his because he was a Bodyguard for important people. That would explain why he was always on high alert.

Speaking of Erik, he disappeared again. She went on a search for her phone and found it on his dresser. Fae called Erik and each time she did, it continued to ring and ring. She started to grow worried. It was so early in the morning, why would he leave so suddenly?

She opened his closet and grabbed a random hoodie from a hanger, pulling it over her head. She left his room and walked down the length of the hallway, her eyes searching from room to room. Fae sat on the sofa while Diesel and Deuce were stretched out on the floor. All of them were waiting for Erik’s return.

She reached for his remote and powered on the TV. As she flipped through random channels, an episode of House Hunters caught her attention. Time stretched on until It was six o’clock in the morning. Fae had tried his phone multiple times again and that’s when she started thinking the worst. She figured she could feed the boys so she gave them both a quick meal. She knew that they needed to go for a walk and relieve themselves.

After another hour, the door knob jiggled and Fae shot up from the couch, almost hitting her knee against the coffee table. Both Diesel and Deuce were on their feet, tails wagging expectantly. Fae watched as Erik opened the door and he looked at her then down at the dogs. He secured the door and pushed his hood off before approaching Fae.

“Erik? I tried calling you.”

He stared at her for a second and then his eyes scanned the room. What she didn’t know, was that he’d left last night in such a hurry, he forgot his personal cell phone.

“I had to step out to prepare for that job. I’ve been caught up lately and I needed some time to get it done. I gotta leave in a matter of days…I’m sorry I didn’t let you know.”

Fae’s expression softened and she tried to hide her annoyance with a smirk and a dry chuckle.

“I was—I was just worried—how did training go?”

“Good. I feel better about the job now.” Erik replied.

“Great,” Fae rocked back and forth on her heels, “I was thinking we could walk the boys? I know they need to go to the bathroom…”

“Yeah…yeah. Go throw on a pair of my sweats and meet me out here.”

Fae disappeared down the hall and Erik exhaled. She took two minutes and she was back out and ready to go.

“Ready, pretty girl?”

“Yep.” Fae replied with a blush.

They left the apartment together and Fae walked ahead of Erik to catch the elevator. Erik caught up with her and grabbed her hand. Fae looked from their intertwined fingers and up to his face. Erik smirked at her and she returned the smile.

“I had an idea. I don’t know if you’d be down for it or not…”

The elevator doors opened and they walked inside.

“What’s that?” Fae responded with curiosity.

She leaned against the wall of the elevator and stared up at Erik with attentive eyes.

“Since this is going to be my last few days with you before I leave for Bangkok, I was wondering if you’d be okay if I took you to work in the mornings? I could even pick you up…”

Fae’s brown eyes widened and Erik chuckled.

“Uhm…yeah, I would like that. Cordell usually works late and he doesn’t come home until an hour or so after me. You can’t get enough of me, can you?”

Fae wagged her arched brows playfully.

“Nahhhh,” Erik smiled, “You got me in a trance.”

Fae giggles. The elevator doors opened and Erik gave her two quick pecks to her soft lips. They quickly left the elevator and strolled out of the apartment building and onto the busy sidewalk. They made their way to the dog park hand-in-hand.

“We could have a quickie before you clock in. A quickie before I drop you off…”

Fae nibbled on her bottom lip. Erik’s eyes scanned her body. Deuce and Diesel both sped up at the same time, pulling Fae and Erik along.

“Looks like we’re moving too slow for them!”

“Guess so—AYE!”

Erik almost stumbled over the pavement from Diesel taking off running when the dog park came into view. Fae laughed boisterously at Erik trying to gain control of the leash.

“You should have seen your face! Priceless,” Fae was bent over laughing, “Looked like your life flashed before your eyes!”

Erik shook his head before crouching down to let Diesel free, “Aight, Fae, wasn’t that funny.”

“If it was me, you would be laughing, shut up!” Fae teased.

“You shut up, midget,” Erik fired back.

Fae shoves Erik and he fell back on his hands. He looked up at her with a glare and he shot up to his feet, wrapping his arms around her trim waist and lifting her from the ground. Fae writhed in his grasp and Deuce circled Erik’s body, barking at him.

“Momma’s good, Deuce!” Erik shouted.

“Put me down, Erik!” Fae yelled.

They were causing a scene. Others that occupied the dog park were looking their way.

“Manners.” Erik said.

“Please?!”

Erik placed Fae onto her feet and she gave him a death glare.

“Aww, you’re so adorable,” Erik teased before reaching out to pinch her cheek.

“You better had let me down or Deuce was gonna bite that ass!” Fae argues.

“Deuce is my friend,” Erik placed a hand against his chest, “He wouldn’t hurt me.”

After Diesel and Duece went to the bathroom, Fae and Erik let them both run around for a bit. Fae sat on Erik’s lap and they both watched their dogs sprint around. Fae looked down at Erik and she reached up to play in his hair.

“Hmm,” Erik gave her a tired look, “That feels good.”

“You haven’t slept. You know that?” Fae said.

“I know, mamas. I’m gonna take a long nap when we get back.” Erik reassured her.

“I don’t wanna go back to my place…”

Erik’s exhausted gaze stared up at Fae.

“Then don’t. Stay with me.”

“…you know I can’t.” Fae replied.

A silence filled the space between them. Erik scratched the side of his nose and looked down at his feet.

“Why can’t you?” He questioned.

Fae sat quietly for a few seconds. Erik knew she was trying to figure out what to say. But what was there to say? He cheated on her multiple times. He’s no good for her.

“Fae?” Erik called out to her.

“Huh?” She replied with a small voice.

“What’s up?” Erik peeked up at her.

“Nothing…I don’t know why…”

Erik felt his chest tighten with anxiousness.

“Hm, okay.”

Fae was struggling to look at him. She turned her head towards the front. Erik exhales.

“Fae…what’s it gonna take for you to leave this nigga?”

“I am gonna leave him—”

“When?” Erik cut her off.

“Soon—”

“Soon as in when that nigga get home or…?”

“Erik…”

Fae climbed down from his lap.

“I just don’t understand what the hold up is.”

Fae rolled her eyes.

“You still love him?”

She looked at Erik and opened her mouth to speak but Erik could tell.

“You do, don’t you?”

“That’s hard to just say—to stop—I don’t want to—he’s been there for me through a lot—I’m gonna leave him it’s just hard. I’m gonna be on my own. The apartment is expensive—”

“You don’t need him. Trust me, you don’t.”

Fae’s sad eyes made Erik feel guilty.

“Listen, I’m sorry. I keep overstepping. I just…I don’t understand why you just don’t leave.”

“…You’re right.”

Fae exhaled a shaky breath.

“You know, I’ve always been so dependent on a man. Even now with everything, I feel like I’m lost, you know? And it sucks. It hurts.”

Erik’s eyes softened as he stared at her.

“You don’t need to feel that way. Fae…listen, look at me, you’re such an amazing woman. You deserve so much better. I don’t want you to feel like you have to settle. So what if he lives there? The more you allow him to stick around, the more in control he is. He’s been in control long enough.”

Erik’s jaw clenched and his eyes were ablaze. Fae’s big brown eyes became watery and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Erik thumbed her tear away and Fae released an uneven sigh.

“I’m gonna leave him today.”

Erik nodded his head and he couldn’t hold back his smile.

“This is gonna be tough…”

“I’ll be right there if you need me, Fae.” Erik said.

Crazy enough, two days had gone by with no trace of Cordell. No text, no call, nothing. Fae was more than prepared to confront him about his cheating and end things for good. She contacted his mother and even she hadn’t heard from him. She was very very worried. It wasn’t like Cordell to disappear without letting her know. Even if it was a lie, he wouldn’t have gone this long without checking in. Fae couldn’t sleep, work, or think without wondering where he was.

She checked the news and even a murder page on Instagram for any updates but wouldn’t his family know? Wouldn’t the police have shown up to her door by now? Erik had been busy himself. He would call Fae whenever he had time to check in to see how she was doing and if there were any updates, but it was getting closer and closer for his departure. She had to reschedule brunch with her friends because she was distracted mentally. Plus, she knew they would start asking questions and Fae wasn’t prepared to tell them.

Fae got herself dressed for work on a chilly Wednesday morning and Erik knocked on her door. Fae grabbed her work bag and made sure everything was good before leaving. She opened the door and Erik greeted her dressed in lounge wear like he just rolled out of bed. His head was covered in a black beanie. Fae accepted a kiss from him but she wasn’t really in the mood to kiss. Cordell was missing and she didn’t have any answers. Erik however didn’t seem fazed at all. Not that she was expecting him to.

“How are you?” Erik finally questioned when they were both in his car.

Fae adjusted her black spectacles and exhaled, “I’m worried. I don’t know where he could be or what he’s doing.”

Erik pulled out of the garage. He one-hand whipped his car.

“Do you think he might be with that woman?”

Fae shut her eyes and shook her head.

“I don’t even want to think about that. I’d probably kill him when I see him.” She said.

Erik glanced over at her.

“I’ve been keeping tabs on the news myself. Nothing out of the ordinary. Unless…he was abducted—”

“Who would want to kidnap Cordell?” Fae laughed, “He’s just a teacher from NY who can’t keep his dick to himself.”

Erik bit his tongue. He had a lot to say but he remained silent. It was best for him to remain silent.

“I don’t know. I’m just worried. I have this nervous feeling in my gut. I just…I don’t understand why he hasn’t reached out. I know he isn’t shit, but this isn’t like him at all.”

Fae rubbed her temples. Erik caressed her thigh.

“Relax, Fae. I know it’s easier said than done, but you can’t keep stressing out over it. You’ve been in contact with his family. I’m sure they’re looking into it.”

“I hope so,” Fae sighs, “I even tried his job and they acted like I was crazy.”

Erik formed a crease in his brow, “Whatchu mean?”

Fae exhaled, “Apparently they don’t know a Cordell. Which makes absolutely no sense. He’s a teacher there and a coach. How the fuck wouldn’t you know?”

Erik cocked his head to the side.

“Maybe you spoke to someone who’s a new hire?”

“Maybe. I need to speak to Miss whatever her name is. The girl he’s been sleeping with.”

After another twenty minutes, Erik pulled up at Fae’s job and he reached behind him to the back seat. He got out of the car and jogged around to open her door. Fae slipped out and Erik handed over her work bag. He kissed her cheek and rubbed her arms.

“Have a good day at work. Call me when you get a break. I’ll see you at five.”

“Thanks, E.” Fae gave him a small smile.

“No problem.”

He got back in the car and watched Fae enter the MET. When the coast was clear, Erik drove off.

Fae greeted her coworkers as she made her way to her desk. After taking her seat, she checked her work phone voice messages and none were from Cordell. She booted her laptop and tried his phone again. A hand to her shoulder startled her and Fae jumped.

“Faedra! So sorry.”

It was her supervisor, Linda. Linda was a tall, lanky Caucasian woman with salt and pepper hair that she wore in a neat bun. Her oblong face with alabaster skin came into view. Fae stared into her concrete gray eyes with a startled look.

“I came to say goodmorning and to remind you about the field trip this morning? From the middle school? Manhattan Middle?”

Fae completely forgot about that.

“Oh! Yes, yes I remember. When will they be here?”

“In about twenty minutes or so. The teachers name is Miss. Rio.”

Fae couldn’t believe her ears. She didn’t know if this was the universe giving her a sign, but Miss. Rio being here at her job had to mean something. She was with Cordell this past weekend. He could be at her home right now. Fae was going to ask questions.”

“Great. I’ll go greet them.”

“Excellent,” Linda smiled before sauntering away.

After twenty minutes, a small history class of students in a single-filed line with their name badges and wandering eyes headed towards her. Fae could make out Miss. Rio and it took a lot of strength to be professional and smile. Miss. Rio looked at her and for a second, Fae knew that she’d recognized her.

“Hello! My name is Fae! Welcome Manhattan Middle! I’m so excited to be your tour guide for the day. We have a lot of ground to cover. Please, stay together and pay attention. We’re going to start in the African Origin of Civilization exhibition first.”

Miss. Rio was dressed in a dark purple, form-fitting pencil skirt with a black blouse and black flats. She walked to the front of the line while a substitute teacher remained in the back as an extra eye on the children. Miss. Rio gave Fae a nervous smile and Fae returned the smile.

They started making their way into the exhibit and while Fae did her thing, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Miss. Rio.

“Scholars today recognize Africa as the source of our common ancestry. But in 1974, Senegalese scholar and humanist Cheikh Anta Diop shocked and challenged historians by asserting the influence of ancient African civilizations in his groundbreaking book The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality…”

Fae continued, “This exhibition pays homage to Diop by presenting masterpieces from the Museum’s collections from west and central Africa alongside art from ancient Egypt for the first time in The Met’s history.”

Fae spent time on each exhibit and answered any questions the students had before they went to the next exhibition. Three exhibits in, the children took a lunch break before finishing up. Miss. Rio excused herself to the restroom and Fae took that opportunity to corner her. The substitute teacher had an eye on the children. Fae stepped to the side to allow a mother and her two daughters to walk out before she entered. Ironically, Miss. Rio was the only one remaining in the bathroom.

Fae only waited two minutes and the bathroom stall door opened. Miss. Rio walked out and her eyes landed on Fae’s. She shut the door behind her and walks over towards the sink. Fae locked eyes with her through the mirror and after Miss. Rio dried her hands off, she turned around to face Fae.

“What do you want to know?” She said.

Fae chuckled. Miss. Rio crossed her arms and shifted her weight on one hip.

“That’s what you have to say? After sleeping with my man? Coming to my apartment and fucking him in my bed? Are you serious?” Fae fired back.

“I didn’t know he was with anyone at first—”

“So, you just went to my apartment and not once noticed anything that made you think, oh! He’s in a relationship?!” Fae whisper-yelled.

“Listen, what do you want me to say?! An apology wouldn’t be enough, right?” Miss. Rio fired back.

“Wow…You’re a joke. Anyway, that’s not why I’m confronting you, you can have him. My beef is with him. I just want to know was he with you this weekend and is he still there? He hasn’t been home in two days.”

Miss. Rio hesitated.

“Well?” Fae pressed impatiently.

“Yes. Yes he was there this weekend. He left this morning.”

Fae turned away from Miss. Rio and shut her eyes. This motherfucker has been staying with that hoe for two days and didn’t even bother to say anything.

“I have to get back to my class.”

Fae didn’t have anything further to say. She didn’t like the woman, but what good will it do to whip her ass? She’d lose her job. Miss. Rio left Fae standing in that public bathroom with tears in her eyes. She felt like a fucking bozo. Fae grabbed a few tissues and blotched her cheeks before exiting the bathroom. The students, Miss. Rio, and the substitute waited for her.

“Okay! Who wants to see the European Paintings?”

Erik was seated in Grand Central Station. He could make out an old friend of his that worked with the ICA. His name is Ethan and he’s Asian. Ethan sat behind Erik, dressed in business attire to not draw attention. Erik turned his head slightly to his right to speak.

“Sean Thomas is missing. Anything you can tell me that I need to know?” Erik spoke with a hushed voice.

Ethan took out his phone and slipped it behind him so Erik could grab a hold of it through the opening in the bench. He retrieved the phone and his eyes dropped down to look at the screen. What he could make out was that the ICA attempted to exterminate him two days ago and Sean got away. This was bad news for Erik. He’s most likely lying low until things died down. A hoard of people made their way towards them. Ethan started speaking in mandarin.

“Tòuguò zhècì xíngdòng, tāmen zhèngzài shīqù duì nǐ de xìnrèn, kè'ěr máng gē.”

Erik nodded his head and cocked it to the side. Losing their trust in him meant penalty number one.

“Wǒ gāi xiāngxìn dài ānnà ma? Wǒ gǎnjué tā duì ICA gànrǎo wǒ de rènwù fù yǒu zérèn…”

Ethan pondered before he spoke, “Dài ānnà zhàozhāng bànshì. Guòqù yīgè yuè tā yīzhí zài niǔyuē. Wǒ bù huì xiāngxìn tā.”

So, Erik shouldn’t trust Diana. His guess was correct. She’s discussing things with the ICA behind Erik’s back. He needed to call her after this and schedule another meet up. He was going to cut ties with Diana and work alone. A lot of Hitmen work alone. It’s just a heavier workload and room for more mistakes.

They waited until the coast was clear. When the last person walked past, Erik cleared his throat.

“Have they been keeping an eye on her?” Erik asked.

“They plan to do whatever it takes to find him, Killmonger. If that means taking the girl, they’ll do it.” Ethan whispered.

“How long before they strike again?”

“Twenty-four hours.” Ethan said.

Silence stretched on. The background chatter and rushed footsteps of people surrounded them. Ethan stood up and adjusted his suit jacket before retrieving his work satchel and the phone from Erik’s hand between the seat.

“Rúguǒ nín xūyào wǒ de bāngzhù, nín zhīdào rúhé liánxì wǒ.”

Ethan pat Erik on the shoulder before walking away. Erik leans forward and props his elbows up on his thighs. This was his fault. If he didn’t get caught up with Fae and tapped into his cold, blood thirsty nature, Sean Thomas would already be dead.

He had to remain ahead of the ICA.

On his way out of Grand Central Station, Erik walked up to his car and hopped in. He dialed Diana’s number and after four rings, it went to voicemail. Erik checked the time and Fae would be off within the next hour. He made his way to her job to wait for her since he was on the other side of town. He knew that he had to be honest with Fae now. It wasn’t fair for him to keep his life a secret knowing that she had a target on her back. Even if the truth would push her away, protecting her was his number one priority.

Sean Thomas is a murderer, and a Con Artist. He’s good at stealing identities and disappearing under a new alias. He’s responsible for murdering four women across the U.S from Detroit, to Chicago, to Georgia, and now New York. He got landed in prison for a robbery charge that led him to a man named Cordell. Cordell has a history of drug-related crimes and he’s from New York. While locked up with Cordell for three years, he learned everything about his cell mate.

His family, his dream job, where he grew up. Sean planned on stealing his identity and creating a new life for himself. He got out of prison and hooked up with an old partner of his to help him with his new life. He settled in N.Y.C and reunited with his “family” who hadn’t seen him in years since he was adopted at the age of three. They welcomed him in like he never left.

What he didn’t know was that he’d been tracked down by Erik. Erik was hired to find out everything he needed to know about Sean and kill him. He’d burned too many bridges and stole from too many people. While Erik finally secured his target, he was also informed to kill anyone else who may get in the way, and that included a significant other.

Fae.

Erik had to keep an eye on Fae as well and the more he watched her, the more he fell for her. He did the one thing he normally wouldn’t do: get close. Now, he’s sleeping with his targets girl friend.

Erik’s car came to a slow stop outside of Fae’s job and he called her to see if she was finished for the day. Her phone rang and went to voicemail. Panic crept up Erik’s spine the more she wouldn’t answer. He opened his car door with force and stepped out onto the busy street. His eyes searched for anything that would give away someone watching her. From what he could tell, there was no sign of danger below.

His obsidian eyes looked towards the tops of the skyscrapers and buildings. His eyes double-backed to a short building with an open window across from the MET and three spots over. Erik knew that the window hadn’t been opened before. He had a snipers eye as well, so his gut instinct told him that a sniper was camped out in that building, waiting for Fae to arrive.

The best way for Erik to know for sure was to enter that building himself. It was broad daylight and rush hour in one of the busiest cities in the U.S. Erik rushed across the street as fast as he could and took long strides towards the building. He noted an alley and a back entrance to the building. Erik dipped down the alley and ran towards the end until he came across a lengthy fire escape. From what he remembers, the open window was on the top floor.

Erik climbed the fire escape two steps at a time. It took him five minutes to make it to the top since the building was only eight stories tall. Once there. Erik retrieved his gun and stood stealthily to the side of the cracked, dingy window. He risked a peep inside and all he could make out was a bunch of plastic sheeting since the building was still under construction.

Erik crouched down and with his back pressed firmly against the brick wall, he used his right hand to open the window carefully. Once fully opened, Erik ducked inside swiftly, his foot crunching down on broken cement and dust. His Maxim 9 pistol with a silencer integrated into the gun aimed in front of him, Erik moved haltingly with his eyes scanning the abandoned floor like a hawk. He made it into a room almost the size of a box and there, propped up in the window was a Mk 13 Mod 0/5/7 sniper rifle.

Erik surveyed the area to make sure the coast was clear. Whoever had been occupying this spot must have been here for less than eight hours. Erik got down on his knee and peeked through the sniper scope. It was aimed for the MET. He knew that Fae hadn’t been killed, but the sniper would have taken a shot if Erik hadn’t shown up. Just then, Erik’s phone vibrated deep in his back pocket. He quickly stood up and when he grabbed his phone, it was Fae calling him.

“Fae?” Erik answered.

“I’m sorry. I had to leave work earlier today. I took an Uber.”

Erik paced back and forth.

“Why didn’t you call me? I could have picked you up.”

“I didn’t want to bother you. I know you’ve been busy lately. I’m at the apartment now. Just got here.”

“Any luck with Cordell?” Erik questioned.

“No. Still nothing.”

“I’m on my way, Fae. Just—”

A garrote wire wrapped around Erik’s throat from behind, cutting off his airway. His phone dropped from his grasp and fell to the hard floor, the screen cracking and blacking out. Erik’s fingers gripped the edge of the wire and he could feel it cutting into his fingers and drawing blood. He planted his feet firmly against the floor and with brunt force, Erik shoved the person trying to choke him back, their body hitting the wall with a loud thud.

The wire slipped from Erik’s neck, leaving behind an indentation and slight blood. Erik didn’t have time to properly catch his breath. He turned and came face to face with a masked man dressed in dark camouflage and boots. The man charged Erik and Erik’s closed fist planted between the bridge of their nose and forehead. It was a sharp punch with a lot of recoil. There was no coming back from that. Erik put them to sleep.

Their body went limp and they were splayed out on the dusty floor like a starfish. Erik took that time to rub his neck and catch his breath. Suddenly, the man clipped Erik and he fell backwards on his hands to catch himself. The masked man did a kick up and was on his feet within seconds. Erik did the same move and they both broke out in combat with hard punching, dodging, kicks, and grunts.

Erik caught both of his arms and head-butted the man before body slamming him so hard his back bowed. While he squirmed, Erik’s fingers fisted the front of his camouflage jacket and he dragged him over to the wall where he tossed him against it like a rag doll. Erik put his foot in that man’s stomach before using his bloody fist to take off the mask. A Caucasian male with a rough face covered in blood and bruises met his ferocious gaze.

“The ICA sent you?” Erik questioned with a hoarse voice, “ANSWER ME!”

Erik pressed the barrel of his pistol into the man’s chin. He was probably seeing double with how hard Erik thumped him.

“Y-You’re supposed to-suppose to be one–one of us.”

As he attempted to talk, blood sprayed from between his lips.

“So that’s a yes,” Erik chuckled darkly.

He pistol-whipped the sniper with the handle of his gun, knocking him out for good. Erik emptied his pockets and found a phone, wallet, keys, and a few knives. Erik combed through his wallet before pocketing it. The phone was locked, so he wouldn’t be able to figure out how to hack it until he got back to his apartment.

He needed to get back to his apartment.

Fae was alone and an easy target without him there. Erik rushed to grab a dust barrier, snatching it from the wall and he shielded himself from the blood splatter that would come from killing the sniper. Silencer aimed at his head a safe distance away, Erik fired his pistol and the bullet hit his target in the temple. Erik cleaned up any other traces of him being there and wrapped up the dust barrier, tucking it beneath his arm before making his escape.

“Erik? Hello? Erik?”

Fae stood outside of her apartment with her phone to her ear. The call dropped suddenly between her and Erik. She pulled the phone away from her left ear and gave the device a puzzled look. Dialing him again, Erik didn’t answer.

“What the fuck?” Fae mouthed.

Confused, Fae fumbled with her keys while trying to enter her apartment. The door opened and she pushed her way inside, exhausted mentally from the amount of stress she’d been experiencing because of Cordell. Fae sat her work bag on the hardwood floor beside the door and removed her shoes. After tossing her keys on a small table next to the door, Fae proceeded to walk further into her apartment. Just then, rustling could be heard coming from her room. Fae paused, her ears perked to catch the noise again. She knew that Deuce was there, but he wouldn’t be in her things like that.

Fae walked towards the back of her apartment, her eyes staring straight ahead cautiously at her cracked bedroom door. A hard thump followed by soft cursing had Fae paralyzed with fear. One hand pressed to her chest, body frozen in that hallway, Fae’s eyes fell on her guest bedroom door and noticed it had been shut. She didn’t close it before she left that morning. Deuce was most likely in there so he wouldn’t get in the way. Deuce would be barking right now if it were a stranger. So it had to be someone he was familiar with rummaging around in Fae’s room.

Fae rushed towards her bedroom door with a fresh wave of courage, pushing the door open with force and coming face-to-face with the cheating man himself.

“Cordell?!”

The room looked as if a stampede passed through. It was filthy. Papers everywhere, clothes littering the entire room, dresser drawers out turned and hanging from the hinges, closet ransacked, mattress hanging from the box spring. Fae’s wide, shocked eyes looked back at Cordell with her mouth parted.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” She shouted.

Cordell simply looked at her with distant eyes before focusing back on finding whatever the FUCK it was he was looking for. Fae was livid.

“HELLO?! I’m talking to you!!”

Fae stomped over to Cordell, almost slipping on the papers scattered across the carpet. She caught herself by falling backwards onto the bed.

“Hey, HEY!” Fae gripped Cordell by his shoulder and forced him to turn back, “ANSWER ME ASSHOLE!”

“Get off of me, Fae.” Cordell finally spoke with a cold tone.

“Get off of you? Why don’t you explain to me why you’re vandalizing my fucking room, dick head?!!”

“WHERE DID YOU PUT IT?”

Cordell stood at his full height, towering over Fae. His voice seemed to change. It was deeper. Unfriendly. Unfamiliar. Cold. Fae cocked her head back and created space between them.

“Put what, Cordell?”

Cordell blinked at her and then he dropped his eyes down to the floor, “Doesn’t matter. It isn’t here.”

He was on his knees now, spreading the papers out, important papers that belonged to Fae. What is his deal?

“Where have you been, Cordell? I’ve been calling your phone and texting you for two days now!”

He ignored her again. Fae was shaking with rage.

“You know what! I’m sick of this shit. I’m so fucking sick and tired of your no good, CHEATING ASS!”

Cordell halted in his pursuit to find whatever it was he was looking for. His eyes slowly ascended to meet Fae’s. His face was void of expression.

“Yeah, I’ve known for days now that you’ve been cheating on me. Not one, but two women! One of which had a field trip at my job today. Miss. Rio?! She tells me you’ve been shacking it up with her all this time!”

Cordell bowed his head and exhaled.

Fae had a finger pointed at him aggressively and her voice was so loud it bounced off of the walls, “How could you disrespect me and bring these nasty women to MY APARTMENT WHERE I SLEEP?! How could you do this to me?! After everything I opened up to you about?! How I’ve been cheated on and mistreated in the past?!”

Fae’s vision blurred as tears flowed from her eyes. Cry-face and all, she was on a rampage. Cordell finally stood up and he just looked at her with no ounce of remorse. No sorries, no care as to how she felt. Nothing. Just a piece of shit man.

“YOU NEVER LOVED ME, HUH?!!! I loved you! I would have done anything for you!!!! How could you—just–how could you just stand there and say nothing?!!”

Fae threw her hands up and stared at Cordell with sadness. She was broken. He broke her. She tried to stop herself from crying, but the more she stood there, waiting for him to speak, the clearer it was to her that he didn’t care. He didn’t love her.

“ANSWER ME, CORDELL!!!!”

Cordell slowly blinked at her and then he started smirking. SMIRKING?! Fae was taken aback. She didn’t even know how to react to that. What kind of sick individual do you have to be to stand there and find this situation amusing?

“…what is wrong with you?” Fae questioned with a tremble in her voice.

Cordell turned his gaze towards the ceiling and released a slow, even breath. Fae waited, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach.

“You wanna know why I was so drawn to you, Fae?”

Fae squinted her eyes at Cordell with confusion.

“…it’s because I could see that you were broken. I could see the pain. I could see that you craved love and affection. No matter how many times your heart had been broken, you still loved hard. An easy girl. Easy to manipulate. To control. To trick. That’s what I craved. And guess what? That’s exactly what I needed to secure what I really wanted from you…”

A hand covered Fae’s mouth and she scanned Cordell’s face, in full disbelief of what he was saying to her right now. It was so disheartening and cruel. She was stunned to silence even though she wanted to break down and cry.

“You see, I’d just gotten out of prison before I met you. I had no place to go…to start fresh…to make a new living for myself. Just like the other bitches before you, I played my part and used my skills to weasel my way in. As soon as I found out about all that money you were sittin’ on…fuck…I knew I hit the jackpot.”

Fae couldn’t believe her ears. She lowered her gaze and scanned the floor. She’d recently moved her paperwork that had all of her information regarding the money she’d gotten from her mother’s death. It was a lot of money. Fae hadn’t thought about it much lately because she planned to use that money to purchase a home soon. A beautiful home in upstate New York. Now, she wondered if Cordell had been planning to steal from her all this time.

“And now, I need that back, Faedra.”

Cordell stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to reveal where she’d put them.

“…Do you even work as a teacher?”

Cordell narrowed his eyes at her.

“No.” Cordell replied nonchalantly.

“So, what was all that shit about seeing Miss. Rio at school?!”

Cordell shook his head and chuckled with annoyance.

“I go to the school during her lunch break and fuck her, Fae.”

Fae was numb to it all now.

“Wow…wow…”

She placed her hands on her hips and tried to fathom why she ended up in this situation.

“I know it’s a lot to take in right now….but I need that bank information.”

“Or what? You’ll kill me for it?” Fae mocked.

Cordell tilted his head and stared at her unblinking. Fae stared at him with a mixture of shock and fear.

“Believe it or not, Miss. Rio is in on it. The other chick? She had bank too until I cleaned her out. Miss. Rio and I have an understanding where no matter how pissed off we are with each other, we’ll always get back together. It’s been that way for years. Anyway, I played my part to get what I wanted.”

“Wow…Congratulations, Cordell. You really fooled me. Too bad I fooled you too.”

Cordell gave Fae a confused look.

“You wanna know what I’ve been up to these past few days? Closer than you think. Right next door actually.”

Cordell’s entire demeanor switched to anger.

“That’s right, I’ve been fucking the neighbor.”

Cordell balled his fists up and his nostrils flared. He was becoming even more aggressive. Fae folded her arms and smirked at him.

“It was good too. The first time. So good I ain’t never have dick like that before in my life. He’s big, he’s attentive, he knows how to work my body, he spoils me, he adores me, Deuce loves him. He fucked me so good in our bed when you were gone this past weekend…mmm…all over the bed. In the shower…on the sink…”

Cordell’s eye twitched. He was ready to snap. Fae knew she was pushing her luck, but one thing about Cordell, he hated Erik. He knew deep down that Erik is more of man than he ever was. He was afraid of Erik. Afraid of what he was capable of. Not only did Fae feel his big dick energy the moment she laid eyes on him, Cordell did too. Erik stole the one thing Cordell thought he could control forever. That struck a nerve.

“I can still feel him inside of me right now…raw…thick…long…”

Cordell took a step towards Fae.

“Doesn’t feel good, does it? Knowing that another man makes me cum with his mouth and his dick? Treats me with respect? A man I barely knew? Stings, doesn’t it? I hope it does. Because that’s how I felt. You’re right, I do love hard. I did allow myself to be mistreated more than once. Guess what? I took back my power! And it felt soooo good.”

Fae’s tears rolled down her cheeks. She shook with rage. She felt empowered.

“Damn,” Cordell shook his head with disgust, “Just desperate, huh? You think that’s a flex? You offered up the pussy to a random nigga you barely know just to get your lick back? That’s some wild shit…”

Cordell broke out into a fit of laughter. He doubled over and laughed. Fae simply stared at him. She knew he would deflect and turn it against her. Didn’t matter, she still won. She could see past it all. His ego was bruised.

“Now, since you got that off your chest, back to the main issue,” Cordell started walking towards Fae, “Where…is…the…bank information, Faedra?”

Fae backed away and almost tripped over a dresser drawer. She caught herself against the wall and eased towards the bedroom door.

“Don’t act scared now, Fae. You were so bold not too long ago.”

“I’m not giving you the information, Cordell.” Fae said.

“Hm, you will. Even if I have to choke it out of you.”

Fae took off running and Cordell was right on her heels. He pushed her and she fell to the floor in the hallway. Deuce started clawing at the door and aggressively barking. Fae lifted herself by her arms and looked up at Cordell. He grabbed her by her hair and forced her to look at him. Fae gasped, trying to unravel Cordell’s hand from her braids.

“It’s okay. You must want me to take it by force, huh? I got just the trick…”

Reaching behind him, Cordell revealed a Glock 17. He aimed it at Fae’s sternum and pressed the barrel firmly into her chest. Fae squeezed her eyes shut and her tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Now, I’m not gonna kill you here. I’m taking you with me. On your feet, NOW.”

He yanked her by the hair to control her movements and it felt as if he ripped her hair from her scalp. Fae whimpered in pain and looked up at Cordell with a petrified gaze. He trailed the barrel of the Glock 17 up the side of her neck and then stuck it deep into the flesh of her cheek.

“Get your shit, we’re going for a ride, baby girl.”

With one forceful shove, Fae stumbled further down the hallway, afraid to look back at the gun aimed at her head, ready to fire.

Ding

The elevator doors separated and Erik didn’t wait for them to fully open before he rushed out and into the hallway of the thirteenth floor. He jogged up to Fae’s apartment door and banged.

“Fae?!”

He couldn’t use his cell phone because it had blacked out. His other phone is in his apartment, but all he cared about at the moment was whether or not she was safe.

Erik tried the door knob and was shocked to find it opened. Shocked and anxious. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, looking from left to right.

“FAEDRA!!!”

Erik shut the apartment door and sprinted towards her bedroom. Deuce’s barking stilled his footsteps and he opened the door for him to come out of the guest bedroom. Deuce leaped up at him, continuously barking as if he had something important to communicate to Erik.

Erik’s heart practically rattled within his rib cage when he followed Deuce in the direction of Fae’s room. Erik’s thick fingers pushed the door back and as it creaked open, his eyes grew wide and his lips parted. It was a disaster.

Sean had been here. He was looking for something and Fae showed up at the wrong time. He’d taken her. Erik combed through the room to find anything that stood out at him. Most of the papers chaotically covering the floor were important documents like bills and work information. Erik made his way back out towards the living room, scooping up Deuce and leaving the apartment.

Out in the hall, Erik quickly opened his door and rushed inside, placing Deuce on the floor and locking his door. He knew no one had been to his apartment because he would have seen them coming and going. He couldn’t check the surveillance on his broken phone so he entered his room and retrieved his work phone.

Erik had placed a tracker on Fae’s phone the night she’d discovered Sean AKA Cordell had been cheating on her. It was the best way to keep tabs on her while he was away. Using his private tracking app, Erik was able to see where she was. Sean was on his way to the Bronx. Erik was never able to track Sean’s phone. The man may be a coward, but he was a great criminal. He was good at what he did. Swindle, rob, and murder.

Erik made his way towards the foot of his bed and after placing his cell phone within his back pocket, he used both of his hands to lift his mattress. Underneath was a gun safe filled with all types of weapons. Erik tucked a few hand guns in his waistband, two blades in his socks, extended clips, and a few silencer attachments

Lastly, he retrieved a full face, tactical mask in all black. Diesel tried to gain his attention, and Erik didn’t want to leave Deuce and him alone, but he had to save Fae or Sean was going to kill her. Rushing into his office, he opened his closet door and grabbed a vest and a pair of biker gloves. Before Erik left the apartment, he made sure there was enough food for the boys and then he was out the door.

Erik was out of that garage and onto the street. He used his all black sport bike to get their faster. The sun was setting and the longer it took to get there, it would be too late. Erik would never forgive himself. He refused to let anything happen to her. Bluetooth connection from the bike allowed him to follow their trail. Her sensor paused on Edson Avenue. Erik was fifteen minutes away.

Fae was led towards a beautifully maintained residence, a place where comfort meets convenience in the vibrant neighborhood of the Bronx. The large fenced-in private yard is adorned with men who didn’t look like the type to mess around with. One look past the weed smoke, you could sense the evil within.

She was taken around the side of the home to a set of concrete steps that led down towards a door. Cordell forced Fae to walk down the steps and she took her time so she wouldn’t fall. When they finally reached the bottom, Cordell banged twice and five seconds later, the door swung open and Fae locked eyes with Miss. Rio.

“La trajiste aquí, Sean?!” Miss. Rio argued. Rolling her eyes at Fae.

“Cálmate, I had to, Alejandra.”

She kissed her teeth and stepped to the side. Cordell entered the basement and Alejandra shut the door.

“Did you find it?” She questioned impatiently.

“No. I combed that apartment and ain’t find shit.”

“After playing house all this time you still don’t know where it is?!”

Fae cut her eyes at Alejandra and mugged her. She had a gun pointed at her back, there was no use in fighting her way out of there.

“She moved shit around, baby!” Cordell fired back.

“We had a plan! Our plan was to take that money and get out of New York! What now? No money, no leaving. I thought we were going to give Gabby a better life?”

Who’s Gabby?

“We will, we will. I promise. I’m not going anywhere, we’re back together as a family. Stop stressing.”

“estúpido,” Alejandra rolled her eyes, “you fucked her because I gave you permission!”

“Alejandra, I’m not getting into this argument with you right now. Listen, baby, while you stand there yelling at me, we’re wasting time. Get the chair and the rope for me.”

Alejandra turned on her heels, jet black hair swaying behind her as she walked away to get the chair and rope Cordell requested. Fae was beyond dumbfounded. Who the hell is Sean and who the hell is Gabby?! Alejandra appeared and with an aggravated look on her face she sat the folding chair down and presented red rope for Cordell to take.

Fae was reminded of the gun aimed at her spine when Cordell aggressively shoved her with it. She winced, walking over to the chair while Alejandra forced her to take a seat with her hands on Fae’s shoulders pushing downward. Fae took that opportunity to raise her leg and put her foot in her back so hard Alejandra fell face first on the floor of the unfinished basement.

“You BITCH!”

Fae didn’t see it coming. She wasn’t prepared for Cordell’s assault.

WHACK!

A hard, crisp, head-hurting, back-handed slap to Fae’s face caused her bottom lip to split open and bleed. Hot tears flooded her vision and she bowed her head, stunned and embarrassed.

“I FUCKING HATE YOU!” Fae shouted.

“YOU SHOULD HAVE KILLED HER FOR WHAT SHE DID!”

Alejandra wrapped her small first around Fae’s hair and yanked. Fae looked her in the eyes with a rage beyond words. Alejandra smirked with her glossy lips before spitting in Fae’s face. Fae squeezed her eyes shut to avoid it from getting in her eyes.

“perra estúpida…estás muerta perra…”

Fae wipes her face free of tears and spit and she used her tongue to lick up the blood. Cordell pressed the barrel of the gun into Fae’s temple.

“I need you to give me your information so I can get the money myself. I want you to write out a check for the full amount and take it from there. Do you understand?”

“…Yes.” Fae responded.

“That’s all you had to do, baby. I wouldn’t have put my hands on you if you weren’t being so fucking difficult.”

Cordell disappeared behind Fae and he tossed Alejandra his gun so she could keep it locked on Fae. Cordell wrapped Fae to the hard, metal chair tightly.

“We’ll keep you here for the night. First thing tomorrow morning, we’re heading to the bank.”

Fae watched as Cordell strolled over to Alejandra. He gripped her chin delicately and used his thumb to caress it. They closed the space between them and kissed passionately, like lovers would. It was just a reminder that he never loved her. It was all a game to him.

“Who’s Sean and Gabby, Cordell?” Fae questioned with a shaky voice.

Cordell slowly turned his head to look at her.

“…I guess I owe you that much. Gonna be dead within the next twenty four hours anyway…”

He leaned his back against a wall and folded his hands over his crotch.

“…My real name is Sean. Cordell is a stolen identity from a cell mate of mine some years ago. I decided to make a new life for myself since I was on the run from other shit that went down…anyway, I got in with his family. They accepted me without hesitation, because Cordell hadn’t been in their life since he was three. I knew that I needed money, so I did what I do best. I found you, did my best impression of the perfect man, and finally I get to take what I’ve worked so hard for…”

Fae listened, hanging on to every word. She was dealing with a real criminal mastermind. The worst kind of individual.

“Alejandra and I go way back,” Cordell laughed and Alejandra blushes, “She’s been my down-bitch since I could remember…yeah…I met her in ‘08 through her brother which is a partner of mine. Derrick and I used to get into some shit back in the day. We reunited when I got out of prison and we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other…she got pregnant with a beautiful baby girl, and it made me want to work harder to get us a better life. We plan to get away to Mexico hopefully.”

“Wait…you have a daughter?” Fae was stunned.

“…All those times I went to work? I was actually spending quality time with Gabriella. She’s three, almost four. Full of life, funny, smart. The best thing to ever happen to me…”

She didn’t have anything to say to that. A secret child? A life of crime? An ex-con? On the run?

What the fuck?

“Story time is over, papi. She knows too much already.” Alejandra said.

“When the lady speaks, you listen.”

Cordell wrapped his arms around Alejandra’s waist and stared longingly into her eyes. Fae wanted to vomit.

“Make sure Pedro and his guys keep an eye on her. You know what I want, right?”

Cordell smacked Alejandra on the butt through her jeans.

“Está bien, papi.”

With a bite of her lip, Alejandra peeled away and towards the basement door leading to outside. She shouted at the men standing in front of the house. Two of them descended the stairs into the basement. They stared at Fae with amusement. Sinister smirks and dark chuckles.

“You know what to do if she tries anything. Slap her around.”

Cordell and Alejandra leave Fae alone with the two Latino men.

4403 Edson Avenue.

The night sky and flickering street lights made Erik blend in. He parked his bike a few homes down and slipped on his tactical mask. Erik knew a little about the neighborhood. It was a community full of Latin Kings. One of the biggest Hispanic gangs in the U.S with a power base built on massive amounts of drug trafficking and a reputation for violence. So much power that the law couldn’t even control them.

Derrick Rio is a member of the Latin Kings and Sean’s partner in crime. Alejandra Rio is a wolf in sheep clothing. She’s a friendly teacher by day, and a drug dealer by night. Erik had known about Sean and Rio for a while now. However, he doesn’t know what their plan is with Fae. Why hold her hostage? Why not just go on the run again?

As Erik stealthily made his way towards the house, he couldn’t help but blame himself. Fae wouldn’t have been kidnapped if he killed Sean when he had the chance. He brushed this job off as a side hustle. If he’d known from the beginning that it was much bigger than he initially thought, he would have handled it before the ICA intervened. He called himself trying to be multiple steps ahead. Turns out he was wrong. He’s never wrong.

Outside of the single family home, Hispanic men littered the front yard smoking weed and goofing around. Erik assumed this house was Mis Rio’s. His assumption was correct when the lady herself appeared from the side of the house.

“Oye, ¿podéis ustedes dos vigilarla hasta que regresemos?”

She asked if two of the men could keep an eye on Fae. That meant that Erik didn’t need to go on a search for her. She was in the basement. Two men separated from three others and headed towards the side of the home. Erik crouched down and moved along the side of a black Chevrolet Tahoe. He could smell their weed and his eyes searched to see if there was a way he could get around them and do a sneak attack.

Two mean were leaning against an all black Honda Civic while the other was pacing back and forth. As far as physical appearances goes, they didn’t appear to be a threat. All three of them looked between the ages of eighteen and twenty five. Erik guessed that they didn’t have a say in whether or not they would join the Latin Kings. If your friends and family are affiliated, then it’s destined for you to be.

Erik got down on one knee and grasped the handle of his B&T SS9 pistol and plucked a silencer out of his front vest pocket to screw on. With a full magazine, Erik took a second to position his pistol and then he shot up from behind the car so fast they didn’t see it coming.

The muzzle blasted off followed by a reduced pop similar to the sound of a puff of air. The first two young men slumped backwards against the car and the last man was two seconds two late trying to grab a hold of his gun before Erik put a bullet in his head.

Erik made his way over to them to make sure he’d finished the job and after close inspection, all three of them experienced instant death. Erik moved as quickly as he could and he dragged their bodies one-by-one towards the yard of the house, stacking them next to a trash can. Now that he had that taken care of, Erik jogged over towards the stairs leading down into the basement.

There is a short, black curtain concealing the window within the door. He was able to get a tiny peek inside of the basement and he could see two men guarding and watching Fae like a hawk. Straining his neck, Erik could only see Fae’s lower half sitting in a folding chair and restrained with red rope. The best option was to draw one of them out. Erik knocked on the door with two quick rasps before speeding up the short concrete stairs and hiding.

Like clock work, a short, beefy, latino male with buzz cut hair opened the side door and stepped out. Erik tightened the grip on his pistol when he started to climb the stairs. His shadow could be seen coming closer so Erik turned fully to face him. With quick precision, Erik raised his gun, and as soon as his feet touched the top step, Erik gave him a head shot to the temple. With all his strength, he caught him before he hit the ground hard. He slowly lowered him to the steps.

Now, he descends the stairs. He didn’t even waste time. Erik appeared within the doorway and the other guy—slicked back stringy hair, tattoos all over his face and arms—did a double take and stood up. He raised up on Erik and grabbed his hand gun from the front of his jeans. Erik was faster; swifter. He snatched his gun and used his pistol with the silencer to kill him.

He hit the floor with a hard crash. Fae could be heard trying to catch her barely audible breath. Erik turned his relieved eyes onto Fae and he quickly revealed himself so she wouldn’t think he was trying to harm her. The way her face transformed in front of him almost made him emotional.

Fae looked as if she’d seen a guardian angel. Her eyes lit up like sparklers in the summer and her lips spread into a slight smile while tears streamed down her cheeks. As Erik approached her, Fae continued to cry, only this time she was breaking down. As Erik got closer, he could see a blue-black bruise on the side of her face and her lower lip was swollen and bleeding.

She looked as if she wanted to shout his name. Erik watched her writhe and cry, too anxious to wrap her arms around him. Erik worked fast and after a final knot the rope fell from her body. Speedily, Fae shot up from the fold chair and turned, embracing Erik with a hug similar to a boa constrictor. Erik rubbed her back and with one gloved hand he cupped the back of her head, leaning in to plant a few kisses to her forehead.

“Thank you…thank you…thank you…”

Fae wouldn’t let him go. She was cutting off his circulation.

“It’s okay…I’m here now…you’re safe…no one’s gonna hurt you any more…it’s okay, Fae. It’s okay…”

He pried her arms from around him and stared down at her.

“We gotta go. The longer we stick around, the more dangerous this shit becomes…”

Erik gripped Fae’s much smaller hand and they both made their way towards the stairs leading up. Erik halted his steps and turned his eyes onto Fae with intensity.

“You have to stay back at all times, do you understand? I refuse to let you die.”

“Okay,” Fae swallowed spit, “What about Sean and Alejandra?”

Erik looked at her for a second before speaking. So, he told her his real name?

“I’m going to kill them.” Erik replied.

Fae nodded her head and let out a sigh of relief.

“Listen to me, stay right here. I’ll come back for you.”

Erik kissed Fae’s forehead one more time, put his mask back on, and made his way up the steps.

“Who the fuck are you?!”

The music continued to blast and all eyes turned towards Erik materializing from the basement. In unison, they all stood to their feet, guns raised and aimed at him. Erik put both of his hands up and slowly backed away towards the door. The closer he went, his eyes scanned the room and one of the thugs closest to him had an AK47 pointed at Erik. Erik didn’t take his eyes off of him.

“NO TE MUEVES!”

Derrick Rio marched out from the kitchen. Erik locked eyes with him. He’s a pretty boi with slicked back wavy hair, earrings in his ears, and swagger. Teardrop tattoos on both sides proved that he was a killer. The scar on his right cheek let Erik know that his face had been sliced open. Nothing scary to Erik. Just a wanna be gangsta. He’d killed plenty of those types.

“Do you know who you’re fucking with?”

Erik remained silent.

Derrick squinted his eyes, “Can’t speak, brother? Hard of hearing?”

“HABLAR!!”

The AK47 almost touched Erik’s cheek. Erik finally parted his lips to speak.

“…quita esa arma de mi cara antes de que te haga.”

The man laughed in Erik’s face.

“KILL HIM, ACE—”

Erik did a move similar to Denzel in The Equalizer and now he had possession of the AK47. His finger didn’t hesitate to fire off rounds in Ace’s ugly face. Erik dropped behind a couch and it was guns blazing. Erik would appear from behind the couch and fire off rounds into anybody he had his eyes on. He didn’t miss. He was better at this. In the middle of it all, Sean and Alejandra were at the top of the steps, no intentions on going down stairs. They didn’t know what was happening or who the masked man was.

Bullets flying, holes in the walls, shattered glass, ruined furniture. Derrick was the only one left standing. He couldn’t believe one man took out a room full of Latin Kings. Erik walked from behind the couch and made his way over to him. Derrick didn’t know whether to point his gun at Erik and shoot or run for his life.

“Ima get yo’ ass either way, Derrick. Just put the gun down and put your hands behind your head.” Erik said.

Derrick hesitates, but eventually he complied. His pistol dropped to the floor and both of his hands raised and his fingers interlocked behind his head. He tilted his chin up and gave Erik a prideful look.

“I’ve waited for the moment I get the chance to kill off a Rio…”

POP! POP! POP!

Derrick’s body slowly and dramatically slid down the eggshell-white wall, a vertical trail of crimson painting the surface. Derrick’s head dangled to the side and he went limp. Erik peeled his eyes away from his lifeless body and just then, from the stairs, Sean began shooting at Erik. Erik ducked and moved out of the way just in time.

“COME OUT MOTHERFUCKER!!”

“Derrick! Oh my God! NO—”

“STAY BACK ALEJANDRA!”

“MY BROTHER! mi hermano esta muerto! ¡DERRICK!”

Erik looked at Fae from the top of the basement stairs. She was holding onto the railing with a vice grip. Erik extended a hand for her to take and Fae clung to him as Erik pulled. Fae rushed up the stairs and pressed her small frame against Erik’s back. Sean continued to fire off rounds at nothing.

“COME THE FUCK OUT! FACE ME!”

Erik dropped the AK47 to the floor and grabbed another fully loaded pistol with a silencer.

“Get down, Fae.”

Erik walked out and shot back at Sean. Fae crawled out on her hands and knees, staying back while she looked up at Erik putting in that work. If it was any other moment, Fae would have been turned on. Right now, all she wanted to do was get her hands on Alejandra. Sean didn’t stand a chance with Erik.

POW! POW! POW!

POP! POP! POP!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“URRR! UGH!”

Erik got Sean in his shoulder. Sean quickly scurried backwards up the stairs, shoving Alejandra as he went to get her to move. She got to her feet and tried her best to move Sean.

“BITCH! GET BACK AND HIDE!” Sean shouted.

Alejandra dropped him and ran away towards the room they were having sex in. She wasn’t even fully dressed. She only had on a pair of panties.

“Shit,” Sean hyperventilates while trying to apply pressure to his wound, “Fuck—”

POP! POP!

Sean fired off his gun and Erik dodged a bullet to the face. Sean got to his feet and stumbled into a vacant room to his right. He pressed his back against the door and tried to catch his breath but each time he breathed in, his lungs were on fire.

Erik was at the bottom of the stairs and Fae came come out of hiding. She creeped over towards the side of the staircase and out of sight. One look at her beautiful face, Erik wordlessly reminded her that everything was going to be alright.

“STOP HIDING, SEAN! WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT TOUGH GUY SHIT?” Erik yelled up the stairs.

“FUCK YOU, NIGGA!” Sean replied with a shout.

“YOU PUT YOUR HANDS ON FAE! YOU COWARD ASS NIGGA! I SHOULD’VE KILLED YOU A LONG TIME AGO!!”

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO QUESTION ME?!”

Sean peeked his head out of the room and his eyes widened and bulged. Erik had taken off his tactical mask.

“You…” Sean spoke with astonishment.

“WHAT’S UP, NEIGHBOR?!”

POP! POP!

Cordell moved out of the way and two holes formed in the door. Erik took two steps at a time and Sean jumped out at him, swinging a bat and hitting Erik in his ribs. Erik couldn’t feel the impact too much since he wore a vest. Snatching off his gloves, Erik gave Sean a mean uppercut in his stomach and then a jab to his face, clipping him in the jaw. Sean stumbled backwards, blood gushing from his mouth.

“THAT’S FOR PUTTING YOUR HANDS ON FAE!”

Fae cautiously climbed the stairs. She remained a safe distance away while Sean and Erik tussled.

“GET THE FUCK UP!” Erik barked out with a sonorous voice and spit flying, “NOW!”

Sean would try to stand on his two feet and Erik would knock him back down again with his fist colliding with his jaw. Erik released a menacing chuckle with his fists covered in blood.

Alejandra dashed out of the room and charged at Erik. She started windmilling him and Erik grabbed her frail arms and shoved her ass back. That was Fae’s moment.

“ALEJANDRA!”

Brown eyes connected and Alejandra tried to escape but Fae grabbed her by the ankle and she fell to the floor in the hallway. Fae clawed her way up towards Alejandra’s face and she wrapped her fist in her hair and yanked so hard a chunk of her hair ripped out.

“AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” Alejandra screamed.

“Baby!” Sean shouted.

Erik put Sean in a head lock. Sean struggled, his left fingers grabbing a vase from a small table and smashing it over Erik’s head. Erik ate that shit like he had a skull made from steel. He picked Sean up and like Bane, he put his knee in his spine and dropped him to the floor.

“SEAN!” Alejandra cried out.

Alejandra punched Fae in the face and kicked her off before racing down the hall and back to the room. Inside, she found a gun and turned on her heels. Fae moved out of the way and Alejandra fired off the gun into the hall. Erik took this opportunity to use Sean as a shield. He picked him up by the back of his neck.

The bullets entered his torso and his body shook from side to side. Erik had Sean by the neck and he brought his lips to his ear to give him one last word before he fell into eternal slumber.

“That fake LV bag you gifted Fae? That shit was a chew toy for our boys.”

Erik let out a dark chuckle and then dropped Sean to the floor. He could see Sean crawling and Erik cocked his head back and scrunched his face up in a disgusted manner.

“Nigga, you still moving?”

POP!

Fae was paralyzed. To witness her ex being murdered in front of her felt unreal. She turned away so she wouldn’t look into his dead eyes.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!”

Alejandra shot at Erik and he caught a bullet in the chest. Fae gasped, ready to come to his aid, but Erik’s vest is bullet proof.

Click click click

She was out of bullets.

Fae ran so fast towards her Erik didn’t have time to do it himself. She tackled Alejandra to the floor in the room and Erik jogged over, watching them tussle. He went to grab Alejandra by her arm but Fae pushed him back.

“No! No Erik! Let me handle her!”

She drew her fist back and jabbed Alejandra in the face.

“She spit on me!”

Erik furrowed his brows and looked down at Alejandra like she was the scum of the earth.

“That’s some nasty shit.” He said with a hushed tone.

Fae climbed on top of Alejandra and wrapped her fists around her neck. She squeezed and squeezed, Alejandra turning purple in the face.

“AYE!”

Erik had his pistol in his grip fast and turned to shoot down the hallway. More thugs came to the rescue. The entire neighborhood was full of Latin Kings. A neighbor probably put word out that they were in trouble.

Alejandra used Fae’s hair for leverage and flipped them over so that Fae was on her back. She stood and dragged Fae by the hair towards the bathroom where she lifted the toilet seat with her foot, preparing to water board her. Fae saw what she was attempting to do, so she used her legs muscles to stand and she had Alejandra by the hair again, twisting her neck.

“GET OFF ME!” Alejandra screamed like a banshee.

“YOU GOT MY HAIR, BITCH!” Fae yelled.

Alejandra tugged and Fae tugged harder. They were out of breath, muscles fatigued, and hearts racing.

“LET ME GO, STUPID BITCHHHHH!!!!!!!” Alejandra screeched.

POP! POP! POP!

POW! POW!

Erik was holding it down at the top of the stairs. They just wouldn’t stop coming. At first, he was shocked that the police hadn’t shown up, but then he remembered the power that the Latin Kings had, and that most of the police were on their payroll.

Back in the bathroom, Fae was finally able to get Alejandra off of her hair. She picked up a rat tail comb with a metal tip and stabbed Alejandra in the thigh. She let her go and leaped back, pulling the comb out, blood spraying out of the small puncture. They were both pumped full of adrenaline that any pain they felt didn’t register in their minds.

B-cup titties swaying, Alejandra lunged at Fae and Fae stepped out of the way, watching her trip over the toilet. She got behind her and smushed her face along the rim of the toilet seat.

“AHHHHHHH!!!!” Alejandra shouted.

Water covered the floor and Fae slipped.

“COME HERE!”

Alejandra grabbed Fae by the ankle and Fae kicked her in the face. Fae fell back against the wall and pushed up on her feet. Before Alejandra could attack Fae again, Fae pushed her so hard, her head hit the mirror and put a crack in it. Alejandra fell to the ground and Fae could see a laceration on her scalp and blood.

“FAE!”

Erik returned to the room, face sweaty and locs wild in his face. You couldn’t tell from his dark clothing that he had blood there. Fae’s knees buckled and Erik caught her. He gripped her face and examined her.

“I gotta get you outta here,” Erik looked down at Alejandra, “I’ll finish her off.”

Erik didn’t hesitate when he aimed his gun for the back of her head and pulled the trigger. Blood pooled out of her head and onto the tile floor.

Erik grabbed Fae’s hand and they ran so fast down the hall and steps. They decided to leave through the basement. Fae collected her things and Erik made sure he didn’t leave any of his guns behind. They left the home in just enough time, taking the back way and down an alley. Just then, like a scene from a movie, the entire home exploded. Fae had never seen anything like it.

“How—”

“Let’s go, Fae.” Erik urged.

They ran two blocks until Erik could spot his sport bike. Putting his mask back on, Erik worked quickly to take off his vest. He had a hoodie on underneath that he slipped over Fae’s head.

Fae’s tired eyes scanned his body covered in a fitted black beater. Erik put the vest back on and hopped onto the bike. With his strength, he wrapped an arm around Fae’s slim waist and placed her on the bike behind him. He revved it up and Fae wrapped her arms securely around him. Hood up, Erik zoomed off down the street. When he finally made it off of the block and onto the busy rode, he could see NYPD, Paramedics, and two Fire trucks.

Even as the bike slowed down to a stop, Fae didn’t take her cheek off of Erik’s back. She opened her eyes and looked around, noticing that they weren’t back at the apartment. They were parked outside of a warehouse in Staten Island. They’d been riding for an hour and a half. Time was lost to her, all she kept thinking about was the nights events. Erik climbed off of the bike and turned towards Fae.

Fae looked up at him as he removed his mask.

The tears began to pour. She will be forever grateful that Erik rescued her. He removed his gloves and cupped her face in his hands. His thumbs smeared away her tears.

Fae parted her dry lips to speak, “He was trying to steal the money I’d gotten from my mother’s death.”

“That explains why your room looked the way it did. How much money did you get?”

“About 100k…”

Erik strokes her cheek.

“I moved the information to a safe that I have hidden in my guest bedroom. That’s where I keep all of my personal documents.”

“Smart,” Erik smirked at her, “I’m just happy to be looking at you right now. I thought I was too late…”

“How did you know where to find me?” Fae questioned with a trembling voice.

Erik hesitated speaking and Fae noticed. She searched his eyes and then Erik dropped his gaze to the dirt.

“Fae…I haven’t been honest with you.”

Fae tilted her head but remained silent. Exhaling, Erik took both of her hands in his and squeezed.

“…I’m not a bodyguard.”

Fae nodded her head slowly her eyes lowering to their hands.

“I’m a professional Hitman.”

Fae’s head lifted to look at him again.

“I’ve been assigned to a job to track down Sean and kill him. He has an extensive history of murder and scamming from all across the U.S. I’ve been assigned to the job for five months…”

Fae stared at Erik with an intense gaze.

“I have something to show you.”

Erik helped her off of the bike and they headed towards the warehouse.

“As a Hitman, we have these specific safeguards implemented in different states. In New York, there’s three. I’m stationed here until I decide to relocate.”

Fae allowed Erik to lead her towards a door on the side of the warehouse. Erik used his thumb against a fingerprint identifier and it ignited green. The door clicked open and Erik walked inside. The door shut on its own behind Fae and as if the warehouse was controlled by some artificial intelligence, everything came to life.

She didn’t know which area to take in first. On one end of the warehouse, there were parked cars and bikes. On another side there was an area for combat. In the middle there is a work station with many computers and a giant TV screen suspended from the ceiling. Fae’s eyes fell on a wall covered in weapons from guns, to knives. Finally, she spotted another wall with a spotlight. This wall was covered with a diagram of photos thumbtacked together.

Erik made his way over to that specific wall with Fae in tow. As they inched closer, Fae recognized something that caused her to pull her hand away from Erik’s. She walked around him and over towards that wall. Fae’s footsteps paused right before the giant billboard and she looked back at Erik with a mixture of confusion and frustration.

“Erik…why am I up here?”

Fae’s eyes scanned the billboard. The covert photography of her made her feel uneasy. There were photos of her leaving work, her apartment, New Jersey, walking Deuce, out with friends, on dates with Sean. Any and everything she could be doing. There were even photos of her through her apartment windows from a distance.

“Wha–wha—I–I don’t—I don’t understand. I—”

Fae wrinkled her nose and her mouth fell open. She blinked her eyes rapidly, as if trying to make sense of what she was staring at. Erik stood in front of her, a guilty expression on his face.

“Fae…I was given the job to Kill Sean—”

“You told me that already.” Fae spoke.

“…So, with that job came rules. Rules that can’t be broken. Not only was Sean a target…you were too. I had orders to assassinate you and him.”

Fae’s lower lip quivered.

“All this time? So what? You moved in next door so you could keep tabs on me? You showed up and tricked me into having sex with you—”

“NO.” Erik cut Fae off.

“So why did you get close to me?! Why did you even do that knowing the risk?!!”

Erik shrugged, unable to find the right words. He looked towards the ceiling, hands in his pockets.

“I just…Fae I fell for you.”

Fae narrowed her eyes at him and tightened her jaw.

“This may sound crazy, but all that time I spent following you, watching you, learning everything about you…I started catching feelings—”

“STOP.”

Fae put her hands up and shut her eyes.

“This is crazy,” She ran a hand over her frizzy hair, “So you fucked me and sent me back to a psycho when you could have told me the truth?! What is wrong with you???!!!!”

“I COULDN’T TELL YOU THE TRUTH!” Erik shouted.

“”WHY? WHY NOT?” Fae yelled back.

Erik put his hands together, leaning in with his face inches away.

“WHY NOT, ERIK?”

“Fae, please. I fucked up, I know that, okay? But you gotta understand me when I say this…what I do, and the people I work for…they don’t play about shit like this. They will interfere and fuck shit up. The ONLY REASON why shit hit the fan, is because of my partner. I have to update her on everything that’s going on. She put a bug in their ear, making me look bad. SHE WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU.”

Fae flinched when Erik’s tone went dark as his tone elevated. He was pissed. Locs in his face, slugs peeking through and muscles flexed.

“AND I WOULD HAVE KILLED HER!!!!…okay?” Erik lowered his voice to a soft timbre and tucked his chin, looking at fae through his lashes with a penetrating gaze and flared nostrils, “I fucked up because I caught feelings. It was deeper than a hit, baby. I fell in love with you. I couldn’t be cold-blooded Killmonger. All eyes were on me 24/7. If I would have said one thing to you, I could have found you dead in your apartment.”

His chest rose and fell with deep breaths. Fae hugged herself and her vision blurred with tears.

“I’m so sorry,” Erik shook his head, “I truly am, baby. I know I fucked up. Sean would have had the entire Latin Kings coming after you if he so much as caught a whiff of anything. Alejandra and Derrick are a part of the Latin Kings. She was in your apartment. They knew where you worked, where you lived…Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?!”

Fae nibbled on her bottom lip to try and calm her hiccuping from crying. She nodded her head rapidly in understanding.

“You have every right to hate me right now. I wish I could go back and fix this. I wish I could, baby. I wish you never met that fucking nigga…”

Erik’s hands pulled Fae into his body. She looked up at him and her hands were pressed against his chest.

“…I wish you didn’t have to go through what you went through tonight…”

Erik’s body shook with rage.

“I knew where you were tonight because I put a tracker on your cell phone that night after the bar. I’m glad I did. Because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to find you…”

Fae shifted from one foot to the other. She was nervous. Erik lifted her chin so she could look at him.

“I want to be honest with you. I want…”

Erik’s eyes went from her lips to her eyes.

“I want what you want. Even if that means you want nothing to do with me…but I’ll never stop loving you, Fae.”

Fae lowered her head and stared at her hands against his chest. She had a migraine, her face hurt, her body hurt, her hair was a mess, her ex was a murderer and used her for her money, Erik is a Hitman. It was all too much. Her head was ready to explode. And now, she’s finding out that she was supposed to be dead too? Not only did Sean want to kill her, so did the people that Erik worked for. But wait did he just say—

“Fae?”

Erik’s voice snapped her out of her daze. She slowly lifted her head to look at him.

“You love me?” Fae asked.

“…Yes.”

It all made sense to her now.

“Was that why you left my apartment that night? You were going to tell me that you loved me, weren’t you?…”

Erik smirked, “Yeah, I was.”

Fae chuckles as tears rolled down her cheeks, “You should have.”

She broke down crying and Erik wrapped his arms around her and hugged her right.

“This is a lot,” Fae said with a shaky voice.

“It is. I couldn’t wait to tell you tomorrow. You deserved to know…you been deserved to know.”

“…Wow,” Fae shakes her head, “I can’t believe this is my life…”

She pulled away from Erik so she could look at him.

“Erik, I’ve only known you for such a short while, but when I’m with you…I’m a better version of myself. You bring out this confidence and self worth in me that I never knew I had,” Fae released a shaky breath, “I’ve been so broken so many times,” Her bottom lip trembled, “And you showed me the true meaning of what it’s like to be loved.”

Erik stared at her, a soft smile on his face.

“…You didn’t have to fall for me, you could have just—just done your job and got rid of me. And as much as I don’t like that you kept this a secret, all of it just proves that you cared for me, a girl you barely even knew…you saved my life in so many ways. And I just want you to know, I love you too.”

Fae pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes to control her tears. Erik felt his own eyes sting. He blinked his eyes rapidly to stop himself from crying.

“Fae,” Erik picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, “I told you, you’re special. You’re amazing. I love you...”

She buried her face into his neck and Erik rubbed his hands up and down her spine.

Fae sniffled, “I want to go home…”

Erik couldn’t agree more.

The energy felt different.

The moment she entered his apartment, she felt like it was her home. Her apartment didn’t feel like home anymore. It was tainted with Sean. Everything he touched, his side of the bed, his clothes, his scent. She didn’t want any part of it.

Erik took her bag from her and helped her remove her boots. They silently walked together, Erik guiding her to his room. Diesel and Deuce were excited to see them. In Erik’s room, he shut the door behind him and proceeded to undress Fae. His eyes never left hers as each layer of clothing peeled away from her frame. Erik walked her to his bathroom and sat her down on the toilet while he ran her bath.

Fae watched him take off his vest, beater, boots, and socks. They were both filthy, but Erik was concerned with making sure Fae was clean and comfortable. The bath water ran and Erik poured in epsom salt. He opened his medicine cabinet and grabbed all the first aid items to tend to her injuries. When the water had finished, Erik turned off the tap and he helped Fae into the tub.

He got down on his knees and went to work cleaning her off. He gently washed her off and after each pass of the sponge, he would press his lips into her wet flesh. Fae felt an instant jolt of arousal. She couldn’t control the pleasant tingling between her legs when he washed her there with a rag. She gripped his wrist and they locked eyes. Even with a bruised face and scared lip, she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Fae’s hand covered Erik’s and she guided his fingers lower. He got the hint and sat the rag on the edge of the tub. Two thick fingers found her entrance and pushed inside. Fae gasped, Erik muting her noises with his lips. Fae gripped the edge of the tub and fell back so that she could tilt her hips for deeper access.

Erik didn’t take his eyes off of her. Fae pressed her face into his arm and nibbled on his skin. Erik could see her juices and feel how creamy her pussy is for him. Her nipples were rock hard and making Erik’s mouth water.

“Erik…”

She squeezed her thighs together and the water sloshed as her body moved back and forth with her climax. She exhaled an airy breath and her walls convulsed around his fingers. Erik slipped his fingers out and sucked them clean. He let the water out and helped Fae to her feet. Erik grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. Back in the room, he sat her down on his bed and proceeded to rub her body down with a soothing and calming body oil scented with a sweet aroma of vanilla combined with a surprising touch of lemon.

“Killmonger.” Fae spoke.

Erik chuckled while massaging her body with the oil, “That’s my nickname.”

“Why Killmonger? I mean, I know you’re a killer…”

“…I earned the nickname from the amount of kills I racked up. It was so impressive that they had to give me a nickname for it…”

“Okay,” Fae giggled, “I like it…it’s sexy.”

Erik’s eyebrows shot up and disappeared behind his locs.

“Hmm, really?” His dimples popped out while trying to hide his blush, “I’m glad you think so.”

Fae rolled her eyes, “I mean…it’s fitting…”

“Fitting for what else?” Erik looked down at her while massaging her feet.

“…with the way you kill this pussy—”

“Huh? What was that, Miss Fae? I couldn’t hear you.” Erik teased.

“I said, with the way you kill this pussy��”

Erik bowed his head and laughed. When he finished, He dressed Fae in an old graphic T-shirt of Jimi Hendrix and he excused himself to take a shower. Fae used that opportunity to go see Deuce. The last time she’d seen her dog was before she left for work that morning. Fae walked out barefoot with her frizzy and loose braids up in a bun. Her scalp felt so tender and sore. She found Deuce and Diesel both lying in Erik’s office. Deuce ran up to her as Fae got down on her knees. Up on his hind legs, Fae hugged him and couldn’t help but to cry.

Sean could have killed Deuce. She was so happy that he was safe. She was so happy that she didn’t die and she could come home to her boy. Diesel rubbed his head against her and Fae gave him a hug too. She smiled brightly at both of them and couldn’t help but to giggle. I guess that means Diesel was her dog now too.

Fae stood up and walked around Erik’s office. Her curious eyes moved about the room, taking it all in with a new perspective. Sure, he was in Special Ops and she understood that killing people came with the job, but it felt different knowing that he’s a Hitman. Fae skimmed her fingers over his books when Erik appeared. He was oiled down himself and wearing a pair of all black ball shorts.

“I came to see the boys and I started snooping around. I know, I’m pryjng,” Fae tucked her chin bashfully.

“It’s okay. You’re curious.” Erik said.

“It just seems so…mysterious…”

Erik walked up behind Fae and pressed his lips against her exposed neck.

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

That made Fae feel good knowing that. She turned to him and Erik’s lips were on hers. They tongue kissed while their hands roamed all over each other’s bodies. Erik had his hands full of Fae’s ass and he backed out of his office. They walked backwards into his room and Erik slammed the door shut to keep the boys out. With only a single lamp light on, it gave off the perfect vibe.

Erik sat down on the edge of the bed with Fae between his legs. She cupped his face while they continued to kiss. Their heads moved back and forth and their tongues reached crevices that elicited sounds of pleasure. Fae needed him. She didn’t care that her body was sore, she needed him inside of her. Erik did too, his dick was brick hard and tenting the front of his shorts.

Fae broke the kiss and she lifted his T-shirt over her head, naked body the perfect shape in Erik’s eyes with the softest skin that glistened similar to honey. Fae took her place in his lap with her pussy sitting directly over his clothed erection. Erik couldn’t get over how soft and smooth her skin felt beneath his calloused hands.

His lips kissed her neck, her collarbones, and between her breasts. He tilted Fae’s body back and her breasts were pushed out towards his mouth. He sucked each dark brown nipple into his mouth and flicked them greedily with his thick tongue. Fae arched her back and gripped Erik’s shoulders tight when he started humping her from underneath.

“Unh….”

Fae’s moans sounded angelic.

Erik pressed his face between her breasts and grunted. His dick was twitching between her pussy lips.

“Fuck…I need you,” Erik whispered.

“I need you too…”

Fae dug her fingers into Erik’s shorts and they wrapped around his fat dick. She whipped it out and lifted her hips while her hand pointed his tip towards her opening. Erik exhaled a longing breath. She sat down on him fully and Erik bounced her.

“Fuck…fuck…” Erik was staring up at Fae through hooded eyes, “I missed this pussy…”

“Mm!” Fae’s mouth fell open, “Mmm!”

Her moans were driving him crazy.

“Mm! Mm! Unh! Uh! Ooo!”

“You’re a fuckin’ angel, baby,” Erik praises.

He secured one arm around her waist, sliding his hips lower so he could plant his feet on the floor, and he pumped upward while simultaneously bouncing Fae, bringing her down on his dick himself. She had a death grip on Erik’s shoulders. She was so small and limber while Erik’s much larger and more powerful body controlled her movements.

“Ahhhh, ahhhhh…” Erik couldn’t hold back from making his own noises, “That’s it baby…let me do all the work…”

“Oh gosh,” Fae moaned, “Yes!”

“I’m deep and I ain’t leaving, baby,” Erik groaned, “Mhm…too much big dick?”

“No,” Fae said with a whiny voice.

“That’s my good girl…”

She came on his dick and Erik raised his hips to the bed again. He lifted her off of his dick and got down on his knees. He started eating Fae’s pussy while she was standing up. She couldn’t believe it. He hiked her thigh up and proceeded to suck on her pussy while his other hand fisted his dick.

“Shit,” Fae wrapped her fingers around his locs, “Mmm!”

Fae’s leg shook out of control and she fell forward against the bed. Erik’s hand smacked her on the ass and she positioned herself so that she was hanging over the edge of the bed. Erik turned and started eating it from the back. Fae rocked her hips back and forth, feeding her pussy to his plump lips and thick tongue. Erik spread her cheeks as best as he could so he could get every inch of that pretty, pink puss in his mouth. He was sucking that shit off the bone and Fae was losing her sanity.

“Daddy, please don’t stop,” Fae moaned weakly.

He slurped her pussy, put his tongue in that pussy, sucked on that clit, tongued her folds. Fae was drooling into the sheets.

“OH FUCK!”

She bit down on her bottom lip, the pain from her scar mixed with the pleasure of getting her pussy devoured giving her a big orgasm. She convulsed and released into Erik’s waiting, gluttonous mouth.

He sat up and Fae turned her body. Erik was on his feet and with his lustful eyes watching her, he took off his shorts, revealing his fat dick and balls. It was so hard that the veins in his shaft popped out. His tip is covered in pre-cum and dying to be sucked on. Fae arched her back and grabbed his dick. She looked up at him and wrapped her lips around him.

She took her time putting him down her throat. It’s a big boy. Erik’s humming and grunting caused her clit to jump. It was thick enough to make her jaw muscles sore and long enough to trigger her gag reflex.

“There you go…good girl…such a good girl,” Erik tilted his head so he could watch, “Get daddy’s dick in there, baby…”

She started sucking him while tugging on his sack. Erik’s brows furrowed and he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth. His eye rolled shut and his head went back. All Fae could see was his beautifully-sculpted body and the long swath of his neck.

“Just like that…look at you…mmm, mmm, mmm…”

Erik groaned when Fae focused on slurping his wide tip between her lips. She knew that’s what he liked. He loved it when she did it nice and slow. Her spit rolled down her chin and she looked into his eyes while sucking. That’s what did it.

“Fae…”

She loved it when he said her name.

“Fae…”

Keep saying my name.

“Damn, here it comes—”

Fae swallowed him whole. She tightened her throat and milked him while the tip of her tongue wiggled in his slit. Thick, warm, nut coated her tongue. She slowly released his dick from her mouth and it popped out covered in spit. Erik stuck his tongue down her throat with his fingers around her neck to control the flow. Fae sucked on his bottom lip like a pacifier.

“I’m gon’ fuck you all over this bed,” Erik said with a husky voice barely above a whisper, “And your ass gon’ take it every single time…”

“I need it, big daddy,” Fae whispered seductively.

Erik raised a single brow at her.

“I can handle it,” Fae spoke confidently with a smirk.

Erik picked her up and put her ass on the edge of his dresser.

“You can handle it, huh? Yeah?” Erik plopped his dick down on her pussy and guided his hips so his dick could glide up and down between her fat, outer lips.

“Yes,” Fae moaned.

“Your pussy is wet and gushy, mamas…”

He hooked his arms beneath her knees and with his hips, he thrust forward and his tip slipped between her labia and popped right into that wet pussy. He pressed further inside until he was halfway in before retracting his hips slowly, only to thrust back inside again.

“Fuck,” Fae gasped when Erik twisted her hips, “Mmm!”

She gripped the edge of the dresser with one hand while the other wrapped around Erik’s neck. His crotch and lower abdomen collided with Fae’s inner thighs and it stung so good.

“Daddy, you’re fucking me so good!”

“Mhm…I know it is, look at this dick.”

Fae tried to watch but he was digging her out so good she couldn’t focus.

“Oooo…I know whatchu finna do, pretty mama…daddy making that pussy cum, I know it.”

“I can’t control it, daddy—”

Fae’s pussy pushed Erik’s dick out and she rubbed her clit back and forth, her juices like a fountain.

“So that’s what I gotta do to make that pussy squirt like that?”

Erik crouched down to lick it up. Fae couldn’t control her legs from squirming and shaking. Erik needed to make her do that again. He moved her to the bed and parted Fae’s legs with his hands on the back of her thighs. Erik got up on that bed, dug his toes into the mattress, and started grinding his hips so that his dick could hit her spot. Each time he would thrust, his hips would grind, making his fat dick hit her spot.

“Oooo!” Fae started crying, “I’m gonna squirt again!”

“That’s what I want, give me that shit,” Erik commanded.

“It’s all for you!”

That was music to Erik’s ears. Fae looked up at him and he had his bottom lip between his teeth and a smirk on his face. She was falling apart beneath him and he just fucked her like that with a dimpled smirk and a big dick. He was dangerous.

“My pussy, daddy!”

Fae’s eyes crossed and Erik was pushed out once again. It just kept going. He beat her clit with his tip and she just covered him and the sheets.

“Dayum, you’re my little waterfall for real, fuck. I love it when you make a mess on me…”

“It’s so much, I’m sorry,” Fae shielded her face with her arm to hide her blush.

“Don’t be sorry about what that pussy can do, baby…”

He had his mouth on her pussy again. Fae was growing lightheaded. Erik looked up at her through his lashes and licked his lips.

“You okay?” He questioned.

“Mhm,” Fae replied.

Erik gave her a moment to catch her breath and then he sat up in the middle of the bed. He made a come-hither motion with his fingers and a bite of his lip and Fae crawled to him. She straddled him and Erik lined his dick up with that beautiful pussy again for more. Fae sank down on him fully until her ass was sitting on his balls. Erik dropped his thighs out and leaned back on one hand. He rolled his hips up slowly and fae rolled her hips down on him. Her hands were on his shoulders and she was looking down at him from above. They were locked in a sensual gaze.

“Tell me you love me.” Erik whispered.

“I love you,” Fae whispered back.

“Say it again.”

“I love you…”

Erik hooked his arms beneath her armpits and gripped her shoulders from behind. Fae cupped his face and they kissed passionately. Erik broke the kiss and his tongue licked along Fae’s jaw. He dug his heels into the bed and surprised Fae with sharp upstrokes with his hands planted on the bed. She was squirting again.

“UNH! UNH! UNH!”

It was ball-slapping strokes. Erik lowered his hips back to the bed and his dick slipped out with ease. He shook his locs from his eyes and lifted from the bed.

“C’mere…bring that pussy here.”

Fae took one look at that dick and she whimpered.

“Don’t worry, I’ll l be back in there. Arch that back.”

She did as she was told. Erik nibbled and kissed all over her ass. He put a humb in her butt and his dick deep in her pussy from the back. Fae’s hips bounced off of him causing her cheeks to turn red.

“Go head, cry into the sheets, tell me how good it feels.”

“It feels so good!”

“You taking it, mamas. Just watching you take this dick makes me so hard.”

“Yes, daddy!” Fae moaned.

“Don’t stop taking this dick…don’t stop taking this dick…”

Fae turned her head back and forth, she fisted the sheets, she cried out. Erik would speed up, then slow down. Bring her to the peek, then edge her.

“Can I cum daddy?! Please?! Can I cum, please?!”

“Cum on this dick right fuckin’ now.”

“Unh—ahhh!”

It was creamy and slippery. Erik watched with his bottom lip pouted and gold slugs gleaming. That pussy was hot and tight.

“Daddy, I feel you throbbing inside me!”

“Yeah?” Erik growled, “SHIT—”

“YES! Right there—”

“UGH!”

Erik gripped her waist for leverage and he withdrew his hips. Fae spun around quickly and opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. Erik held her gaze through his locs and his mouth formed an ‘O’ while he jerked himself. His cum shot out like a spider’s web. It covered Fae’s face and tongue. Erik couldn’t believe how much it was. Fae cleaned off as much as she could and then Erik left to grab a wet rag.

He returned and cleaned Fae off. They both went to the bathroom and after using the toilet, took a shower together. Fae let Erik fuck her up against the shower wall with her chest pressed against it. She reached behind her to hold onto his thigh while he took that pussy from behind. He slipped out and Fae got down on her knees again to clean him off. They were both satisfied.

When they were done, they both rubbed eachother down with the oil again and stood at his sink to tend to their scars. Fae sat on the sink and Erik took his time tending to her. She did the same for him, it was mostly his knuckles. It was so intimate.

Teeth brushed, Erik put a towel down on the bed to cover Fae’s mess and snuggled together beneath the sheets. Fae rested her head on Erik’s chest with one arm draped across his torso. Erik stared up at the ceiling while playing in her hair.

“I love you, Fae. I mean it.”

Fae sat up and looked up at Erik through her lashes.

“I know you do. I love you too.”

Erik shut his eyes and smirked. Fae caressed his thick lips with her fingertips. Erik caught them between his lips causing Fae to giggle.

@goddessofthundathighs @theegoldenchild @hearteyes-for-killmonger @imagining-greatness @chaneajoyyy @uzumaki-rebellion @theeblackmedusa @lisayourworries @bellleame @ratedbadgal @bombshellbre95 @cecereads209 @cancerianprincess @dameshaemonique @6lack-1otus @thickemadame @thickeeparker @stinkalinkkkk @ehniki @electrixit @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @bakarisprxncess @melodicheauxxlovesfood @melodichaeuxx-lacritquexx @bxolux @sweet2krazee @bluesole16 @90sisthenew80s @ispywithmylileye @geemamii @unbotheredblackchild @nubianbabee @adoreesun @blackpinup22 @nayaxwrites @dersha89 @honeytoffee @thickianaaaa @modelmemoirs @why-wait-4-eventually @angelicniah @queenfaithmarie @soulfulbeauty19 @asweet-serendipity @aijha @novaniskye @princessxotwod @callmemckenzieee @blowmymbackout @lahuttor @momobaby227 @blackerthings @kenbieee @palmstreesallday @kokokonako@coolfancyone @soulsparker @d3kstar @richgirlaesthetics @withoutmusiclifewouldbflat @beautybyfire @abluesforlyssa @xo-goldengirl @mbakuetshurisprincess @4ftwonder @raysunshine78 @sensitivelegend @sourbabynaee @gotbeefbitch-blog @cool-fancyone @efonteno @akimi-youngblood @badassdoll @shyblackgurl @childishgambinaax @teheeboo @skylahb @gigafaex @readingaddict1290 @circeaphoenix @xsweetdellzx @carewornblackgirl @queengodiva619 @certifiedlesbianbaddie @seyven89 @jamaicanqueenaa

[railfangxy]

The Embodiment of Streamline Moderne

Most steam streamliners have shrouds to bring the engine into a Moderne style. Be that styling the engine to look as new as its consist does on the inside, OR embracing a look that borrows from contemporary diesel power.

Seems the Pennsylvania Railroad T1's were the exact opposite, at least at first. A futuristic design concept by Raymond Loewy was adapted to fit the outline of a steam engine

Just look between these two and the resemblance is clear

The T1's are already fairly modern machines as far as steam locomotives go. True, they are reciprocating machines so they still use cylinders and rods compared to individual steam motors, or a steam turbine drive. However, there's two or three aspects about them to complement their forward styling.

First is the duplex drive. The concept was to create a locomotive that was easier on the track at higher speeds by splitting up the driving wheels. More cylinders are needed, but the actual reciprocating mass is reduced. The T1's weren't the first iterations of this, on or off their home railroad, but they came with something else.

Second is poppet valves; more familiar with stationary steam engines, and persist today in internal combustion engines. Compared to piston valves, poppets allow for more precise timing of admission and exhaust to the cylinder, thus more power can be obtained. Poppet valves were tried a few times in the US in the 20s, and saw use elsewhere, but almost nothing like what the T1's had

Lastly is the Franklin System of Steam Distribution. This is a form of valve gear, large based on Lentz gear as it uses oscillation cams and has valves positions more like a piston. However, there's multiple sets of these valves, and the actual reciporicating mass is miniaturized and housed in a gearbox casing. In addition to the slight power boost offered by poppet valves, this further reduction of weight means the engine puts less energy into moving itself compared to its train. In addition, this protected the motion and meant maintenance requirements were actually lower compared to conventional valve gear.

If you know anything about the T1 that last part may sound odd, but the first engine to use the Franklin system did indeed require less maintenance than others in its division. The streamlining made access tricky, but it was really a problem when it came to making repairs not general maintenance.

All this and more set the T1 apart from anything that came before, or really since. It's only fitting they look the part of being a vision of the future. Just had no idea where the styling originated for them to look so much more modern on the outside, when they were already steps forward on the inside.

The best part about the iconic profile is that it never really left. I don't just mean the later T1's or the similar looking diesels. The prototype T1's kept the Loewy influence up front right til the end. Just iconic

[unknowns-musical]

Okay, starting off this is gonna be my little brain dump for how I think the trains are made in this universe. So, prepare for a lot of text and silly scribbles. If you make it to the end, I'm gonna explain why I first came up with this idea and that it links to Hermes and his past.

To start off with, the trains are toys they can't be born but made. Even as toys, Control sees them as real trains/people, meaning that they have to be made in his world and not just in the real world as their toy forms. But, since he sees them as people that also means they can age and I do believe this is a thing considering Momma, Poppa and og Belle are older than the rest of them, and have a history from when they were younger. If any of you know transformers, I'm basically gonna describe cold constructs in my way.

The first step is to make a base form of what kind of engine or car you want. A simple frame work that contains their internal structure that holds their power source and lets them keep their form. In a way like their version of a skeleton, organs and muscles. You want to make an engine? Their chest would contain the engine part, and the rest is spread out under their "skin". For a freight or coach? They still have a power source, only it's smaller as to make room for their original purpose to hold/carry things or people in their chest cavities.

This is just a rough idea of what they would look like in my head. Kinda like a puppet, a basic form that can be changed and molded to what they're being made for.

However, in this state they are just lifeless, an empty shell of what they should be. So, to give them life they need a spark to give them life. That power that the engines have the strength and speed to race, that power that gives the Freights and Coaches that energy to do what they need to do. That spark is shared to give these base forms life.

The spark doesn't always work though, it won't give these base forms life if they were made incorrectly most of the time or if the user is incapable of sharing the spark in some shape or another. Be that age, an injury, or a fault in their own system.

If they spark can be shared then it is a race to finish the base form before difficulties arise. The spark not only gives them life, but the last bit of energy needed to finish the outside of the body. An outer shell that can fuse to their form, that gives them protection and allows them to grow as they get older. Giving them an overall human appearance, which varies on what you make. A Steamer needs a form of chimney or vent to let their smoke and stream out. The electrics need extra padding to prevent themselves from shocking others on accident and prevent rain from getting into their systems. Diesels need several vents to let out their smoke like steamers, but also a large room to for their internal controls and to monitor their engine, as well as store their oil.

The energy is used up at this point to finish off the form and give them life, creating a child of a varying age depending on how old they were designed to be. Usually they're about six to eight, sometimes older if they're in a rush for them to get to work faster since they have less time to reach that maturity. But creating them younger is overall more beneficial as it gives them more time to learn about the world and develop properly.

Now we're onto why I created this idea and how it links to Hermes. His backstory is very basic: he was found as a toddler by CB who was a child at that point and was adopted into the family since he looked similar to him and CB wanted a little brother. That lead me to thinking about his backstory more... If the trains are created, then like a birth certificate they would have a certificate of manufacturing. Saying who made them, where and what their original purpose was. What kind of train or car they are, so in future if they had to be converted they could convert them without harm.

Yet no one knows who made Hermes or where he was made they have no where nearby that a child like this could come from, which gave me the idea of what if he wasn't complete? If he wasn't complete, then he wouldn't have a certificate of manufacturing, meaning something happened that stopped his creator from finishing him and somehow got separated once he gained consciousness. But if he wasn't finished, no one knows what he was meant to be so the Freights, and their guardians attempted to finish him without knowing what he was. So, the body he has when he is older isn't his true form.

Now, I will say who made him and what he was meant to be but no one in the yard knows. Og Caboose was his creator, his father and by default Hermes was meant to also be a Caboose like his dad and technically his bio brothers as well. What stopped him from fully finishing Hermes I don't know, I have yet to decide. Despite being incomplete being a Mail Freight in a sense is close enough to his original purpose. He carries both people and mail, for long journeys and travels a lot.

Now, being incomplete I had the idea that the extra energy that was meant to be used to finish off his form never left. It was meant to be used up before he gained sentience, but it was never used up, so instead it stays with him. That energy is why he is always energetic and why he is so fast, even faster than the engines.

As a byproduct it creates two issues: he rarely gets tired and he wears out his parts faster then everyone else. With all that extra energy, it's hard for him to get tired in general so he has to work twice as hard and twice as long just to tire himself out enough to sleep. Then we have the wearing out his parts faster than the others, being on wheels more often his wheels and pistons are gonna wear down from over use. Easy enough to replace and fix, but annoying to deal with since it means he needs more medical attention compared to others.

That's everything I have so far and thank you for reading this if you made it all the way through!!

[trainsinanime]

I don't think there's enough art analysis of modern train paint schemes. Sadly I know basically nothing about art, so I can't really fill in the gaps, but I can at least try to get the conversation going.

Now, this is a difficult topic, for two main reasons:

There are a lot of trains. Less than cars, sure, but still, a very considerable amount.

We live in a time where it's gotten really easy to give them all widely different liveries.

Point 2 is surprisingly crucial. It used to be that every train livery was paint, with masking tape carefully applied, and a few stickers for the more complicated parts, letters and numbers. That limited the sheer amount of design you could get on there. Trains in Europe have also become very smooth, with not much in the way of access doors or similar. That means for complex paint schemes, you can now do vinyl wraps, like for cars; functionally you print out a giant sticker (or several) with a giant locomotive and make sure to apply them all straight. Sounds difficult, but there are companies specialised in that. So, want a locomotive with gold and Ode to Joy on the side?

(All pictures by me unless otherwise noted)

Yeah you can just do that. SETG's 193 218 here is the only one with this livery, and hey, at least it's still wearing it. They've changed some details since I took this picture in 2017.

So as an example, I'm picking one type of locomotive and in particular one train company. The locomotive is the Siemens Vectron, and generally speaking it looks like this:

The Vectron is an incredibly successful product by Siemens, introduced in 2008 and it keeps on selling. Locomotive 1750 is almost done and was recently shown off at a publicity event, and the orders are already for about 2700 locomotives. I'm only going to look at the "normal" version of it and ignore weird special versions like "with Diesel engine", "extra cheap" and, of course, "Finnish". With that out the way, the Vectron is an electric locomotive that can run at up to 200 km/h or even 230 km/h (125 or 143 mph), provide up to 6400 MW continuous power, run under any type of electricity common in Europe and in most countries. It's highly modular, so you only get the features you want, and you can add other ones later. Some of them haul passenger trains, in particular it's the most modern passenger locomotive in both the Netherlands and Denmark, but the vast majority haul freight all along the major European corridors. For quite a while there it was actually the only modern electric freight locomotive you could get, as their competitor Bombardier and their TRAXX was busy with software and quality control issues, then busy getting bought by Alstom, then busy with software and quality control issues some more. This seems to be coming to an end, Alstom has won some significant orders and is getting close to actually delivering, and meanwhile Stadler has been doing interesting stuff in the specialty field and they're going mainstream as well; but for now, Vectron is still the default. The lamp housings only come in grey, unless you buy the cheap version, the extra powerful version, or the Finnish version (which also doesn't have the whiskers).

The one in the picture is an internal Siemens test unit to get approval for 230 km/h operations, but for the most part, it represents what the locomotive looks like if you order one and forget to tell Siemens what paint you'd want. This sounds like a joke but it's actually surprisingly common. Most locomotives in Europe these days are bought by leasing companies. Some of them are very concerned about corporate identity and have their own paint schemes that customers can then add their logos to (or cover up, if they pay more), but others don't bother, they expect that the customer will wrap the locomotive anyway. Siemens also apparently always has a few white Vectrons in the assembly line, in case someone needs a locomotive really urgently. The expectation is never that customers keep it white for long, it's that they apply at least logos or big stickers and wrap it in whatever they want, with the white as a neutral base. You can often tell secretly white locomotives from the grab bars under the front windows; almost nobody bothers to paint or wrap those, generally speaking.

Design-wise… well, it's a box, with some slightly sculpted cabs at the end. A design feature that everybody loves are the "whiskers"; behind them is the cab air conditioner. People often compare it to European heavy semi-trucks, which is almost certainly intentional.

The full "default I don't care" Vectron doesn't have the silver edges and none of the big "230 km/h" and "Siemens" stickers of this one. It does have a dark grey frame, and a dark grey central roof section. These are the parts that get dirty the quickest (from the wheels and from the pantographs), so darker colours here help make that less apparent. Any part of a Vectron can and will become incredibly dirty eventually if you don't wash it, but these dark areas give you at least a couple more weeks before it becomes really apparent. They're not required, Siemens will happily paint any part of the locomotive any color you want, but a lot of companies adopt these colours for these parts anyway because it just makes sense.

The Beethoven locomotive up top is probably an example of a white default locomotive that got wrapped. I don't love the design, I think it's too busy, but it's not the worst.

For another example of a bad Vectron livery, I controversially submit BLS cargo, a Swiss railway company that nowadays does long-haul container traffic across Europe and crossing the alps:

First, see what I mean about getting dirty? Second, I know people like this livery, but to me, this is a pretty photograph on an otherwise boring livery. It's not integrated in the slightest, and the rest of the livery is just silver-grey, with some lime edges, and some red lower whiskers (fun fact: A splash of red at the front of the locomotive is legally required for Italy).

For something more interesting, let's consider their biggest competitor, SBB Cargo. SBB Cargo is a part of SBB, the Swiss state-owned railway company, and is the main provider of freight trains in Switzerland. They have an international arm, SBB Cargo International, which runs freight trains through Switzerland. Originally, SBB Cargo locomotives looked like this:

Red ends, blue middle, a big "cargo". For the classic locomotives, they got some dynamics slants in there. The more modern boring locomotives got red ends and red edges. In both cases, they're being a big cheeky with the dark frame: They're using it as a baseline for the "cargo" text, with the lower arch of the "g" extending into the frame. Also, note that the newer locomotive is number 482 000. Starting the numbering at zero? The Swiss sure are crazy.

They've been using this paint scheme for a while now, and it was good. But especially SBB Cargo International wanted something else, something of their own. They started out with some cheeky slogans, like the alp tamer:

Alpäzähmer roughly means "alp tamer" in deep Swiss dialect. The locomotive is advertising the opening of the Gotthard base tunnel under the alps in December of 2016, which finally "tamed" the mountain range.

Fun fact: In December of 2016 I travelled to Switzerland to experience this fresh new tunnel for myself. It is a massive engineering marvel, but it turns the actual experience of this 55 km/34 mile tunnel is just "dark for thirty minutes". On the way back, between Zurich and Munich, I watched some episodes of Supergirl, and somewhere around Lake Constance I wrote what is still somehow my most popular Tumblr post by a really long shot. I hate that post so much. The tunnel is good though.

However, a lot of SBB Cargo International's locomotives are just leased modern electrics with a logo stuck on there, like ES 64 F4-091.

Due to corporate mergers, this locomotive is currently on its third leasing company and 2.5th livery (most of it is still leasing company #2, leasing company #3 added the yellow stripe and replaced the logos of the old leasing company with their own). Since it was built in 2004, it's been hired by more than a dozen rail companies from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, it was very briefly a passenger locomotive despite only a 140 km/h (87 mph) top speed, and some companies, including SBB Cargo International, actually had it twice. And all it got to show for it is a logo, a name and an URL. Makes sense, who knows when it'll next get hired to Nordcargo, DB, ACTS, CTL, ITL, another branch of DB, TXL, KRE, RTB Cargo, NIAG LOCON, SETG…

But SBB Cargo International wanted to grow, and get locomotives that unquestionably their own; still leased, but on a very long-term basis, and with their own livery. Which locomotives? Siemens Vectron, of course, it's the default. Which livery? They could have just used a normal SBB Cargo livery, of course, but they wanted to stand out. Enter Simon Wijnacker.

Simon is a dutch rail nerd and graphics designer. He has written books about modern locomotives and their paint, he used to run a website cataloguing them, he still runs a news site about modern locomotives and their paint schemes, but most importantly, he and his design studio Railcolor Design… uh, design color schemes for rail vehicles.

And for SBB Cargo International, he (or his team) came up with a stand-out design: The Alppiercer.

Picture by Thomas Naas, licensed under CC-BY-ND 2.0, on Flickr

Everybody loves the Alppiercer, me included. The stepped gradient color palette? The clever use of the red ends and the blue center? The Swiss cross on the front? The ray of light under the mountains, symbolising how trains pierce the alps with the new Gotthard base tunnel? Perfection.

There have been dozens of variations of this design since, because SBB Cargo International now applies versions of it to all Vectrons it leases, no matter who from, so there are ones on black (Shadowpiercer, for locomotives from former MRCE), blue (Nighpiercer, for locomotives from Hupac), silver (Silverpiercer, Railpool), grey (Alppiercer 3, SüdLeasing), as well as all sorts of one-offs, like Hollandpiercer, Germanypiercer, Ruhrpiercer (for subsidiary RT&S) and so on.

In the meantime, the main SBB Cargo decided to get new locomotives as well, since maintenance of the old workhorses was getting more expensive than getting new ones. This is actually true for a lot of Europe, especially thanks to the need for new equipment like ETCS: Leasing a Vectron is often cheaper than keeping an old locomotive going, even though that one's already paid for. SBB Cargo (main) also decided to buy new locomotives; the contract for that went to Stadler, which surprised everyone. But until those new locomotives are designed, built and approved, it'll take a few years, so in the meantime they're doing the default thing and leasing a couple of Vectrons. They wanted them painted, though, and for that, they once again went to Simon, and he delivered. I don't know whether they requested something different from SBB Cargo International, or whether that was Simon's idea, but either way, this is the result:

I find this super-fascinating. It's the same locomotive, it's the same family of companies, it's based on the same blue-with-red-ends original design, it's even the same designer, yet it's a completely different feel. Don't even focus on that the alp motive is gone and the big "cargo" is back, look at the details:

In the Alppiercer, the red at the front goes all the way down to the bottom of the frame. Here, the frame is dark grey throughout.

The Alppiercer added some black over and under the front windows, where the handrails are. The domestic version lowers is until the black almost hits the whiskers.

Both actually visually raise the frame a bit, by painting the lowest section of the main body in the same color as the frame, but the big cargo version raises it higher, and draws your eye with a big white line. It's also just more frame, because the red of the Alppiercer turns back, creating an arrow shape, while the other has the red just plain slanted, thus giving more red.

There's even a bit of extra frame grey on the lowest set of whiskers.

Both locomotives feature black frames around the door side windows; fairly angular for the Alppiercer, but very smooth for the big cargo version. The big cargo version also links these frames with a horizontal line at the top of the body.

So both locomotives are red at the front, but the impression is a very different one. The Alppiercer looks taller, the big cargo version looks longer and more business-like, stronger.

(Also interesting: The lower arch of the g of the cargo can no longer be on the actual frame, because the Vectron has a very busy frame, with cutouts for fuel tanks in case you want to install a small diesel, with lots and lots of labels, and of course crucially, both a big "Siemens" and a big "Vectron" logo somewhere in there.)

But also interesting are the choices that are the same. A black frame around all windows emphasises them and makes them look larger. The locomotive has some defined bevels, but Railcolor largely ignores them - compare how much red the Alppiercer has with how much lime green the BLS version has. There is a very strong sense here that "I decide what the visual shape of the locomotive is, the manufacturer's outer shape is just a suggestion".

This becomes especially clear when you see the Alppiercer design applied on one of the earlier modern electrics, the Traxxpiercer:

Picture by peters452002, licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA, via Flickr

This is apparently going to stay a one-off, but it makes for an interesting comparison with a locomotive of the same type with the original paint scheme.

Oh god these things have gotten dirty and washed out. Pretty soon the ends will just be white if this continues. But anyway, note that the repainted one again got a raised frame, black around the side windows, extended black around (especially above) the front windows, and extended red at the edges. A subtle touch is that near the buffers, the red is cut off with a bit of black, making the shape slightly more fluid and dynamic. Yes, admittedly the main reason why it looks better and more modern is because it's clean, but also, Railcolor reinvented what it means to make the ends of a TRAXX locomotive red, which is not something anyone else ever tried.

The raised frame is a staple of Railcolor Design, seen also e.g. on their work for Flex, Budamar, very strongly for RTB Cargo and most hilariously Raillogix. The latter (sadly I didn't find any Creative Commons licensed pictures of it) is particularly hilarious, because there's so little design: The most boring logo ever, the company name, one color, a slightly different one for one corner each, and that's it… but then there's a bit of black around the front windows, and a bit of a raised locomotive frame, just as a little "Simon was here".

The Flex one also shows another staple of Railcolor Design, the "dog bone" design (name by me, not official): A narrow beam in the middle that expands out at the cabs. The "Transformer" locomotive for Trustrail is another good example; part of the designs for EBS that Railcolor keeps making that all follow this general approach.

Meanwhile the stepped gradient palettes are also popular. Adria Transport 193 012 "From Sea to Summit" is clearly not an Alppiercer, but very obviously designed by the same people.

So… what can we say from a critical artistic perspective about the work of Railcolor Design when it comes to inventing new ways to paint Swiss locomotives red and blue? I dunno, honestly, I have zero art education. I do know they're putting a lot of care and work into it; they're not afraid to redefine the visual shape of the locomotive; they're playing with its appearance, tall or long or shark-like…

Picture by Rob Dammers, licensed under CC-BY 2.0, found on Flickr

I haven't yet seen a really wide Vectron. Anyway, a lot of interesting stuff coming out from them that, in my opinion, pushes what train design can be in interesting directions.

What do you think? Especially if you know more about art and graphic design than me?

[praxcrown5]

Doc Fanfic Sneak Peek #3

Lightning revved his engine once more for good measure and turned quickly down Clinic Road, towards Doc’s garage.

The light was on, meaning that Doc was up, so Lightning just nosed open the heavy, wooden door without knocking.  “Hey, Doc!  Ready to eat my dust…?” His voice trailed off. 

The garage was empty.

“Huh?” He wondered, looking around.  There was a warm can of copperoil next to Doc's workbench, a USPS box along with a book and some paper on the bench itself, and a newspaper on the floor that had been opened to the sports section. But Doc, himself, was nowhere to be seen.

Lightning shrugged, turned, and headed back outside so that he could check the clinic. It was an easy thing to forget that “Doc” wasn’t just a nickname:  The Fabulous Hudson Hornet was an actual doctor with degrees in internal combustion AND clinical aerodynamics.  More than one training session had been interrupted by a medical emergency in town, and he would sometimes travel out of state to attend medical seminars and conferences and the like. 

But he always made sure to communicate stuff like this to Lightning as far in advance as he could.  And, failing that, he’d at least tack a note to the door.

Lightning peered in through the Clinic’s front window.

No Doc. 

He checked the doors to the clinic and the garage for a note.

Nothing.

Maybe there was a note in the garage, and he just missed it.

He quickly made his way back into the garage and considered the contents of the workbench.  The USPS box had been opened and was empty, except for a yellowed newspaper clipping dated June 22, 1954.  The title of the article read “Kentucky moonshiner, Diesel O’Twill, killed in Knoxville Crash While Evading Lawmen.”  Next to the box was a tattered, leather-bound journal and a letter printed using some sort of voice-to-text tech. 

There was no note that he could find, and that left him feeling both stumped and concerned. 

It was NOT like Doc to just disappear without telling him…and he wasn’t at Flo’s.

Where could he be? 

He reconsidered the contents of the workbench.  Maybe the answer was right in front of him

His gaze first fell upon the journal.  Lightning had never seen the item among Doc’s personal effects, and as Doc really wasn’t the sort of person to keep one…

Nodding determinedly, he flipped open the cover and scanned the first page.  The writing was similar to Doc’s, but different…fancier, and, much to his annoyance, the entire thing was written in cursive.

Lightning sighed and closed the book.  He never learned to read or write in that style; his parents considered it “old fashioned.”

He moved on to the letter. 

“Hey, Hud,” It began.  “It’s good to hear from you…”  There was a long pause as evident from a string of periods.  “Look, I know it’s been a while, and I gotta admit, I was mighty cross when you left town without so much as a ‘goodbye’.  But, y’know what:  That’s water under the bridge. I’m just glad your engine’s still running. So’s the rest of the gang; Louise especially.  Pretty sure she still has a crush on you, despite your preferences...” Lightning paused. The personal nature of the letter made him feel uneasy, like he was prying into Doc’s personal life…the taboo parts that he never talked about despite them both being pretty open with each other about a lot of things. 

He considered not finishing the letter out of respect, but perhaps there was something here that would shed light on Doc’s disappearance.

“As a way of burying the hatchet, I’ve sent you something that I should’ve sent you a long, long time ago… your ma’s personal diary.”

Lightning’s eyes flicked over to the journal, then back to the letter. 

Yet another long pause.  “I read it.”  Another pause.  “I read it out of anger…but there’re some things in there that you should be aware of.  And…look…If you need to talk, I’m here to listen.”  The letter was signed “Smokey.”

A bit of fear began to creep into the racecar’s brain.  He didn’t know who this “Smokey” person was…but the tone of the letter didn’t sit well with him (and given Doc’s empty garage, he had the feeling it hadn’t set well with Doc either), and he reversed out the door fully intending to speed over to Flo's.

But he hesitated.

Doc was a father figure to most everyone in town, Lightning notwithstanding.  If he were to speed into Flo’s lot, scared, shaking, and asking a bunch of loaded questions regarding Doc’s whereabouts…he was pretty sure everyone would panic.  And as much as he was concerned about Doc, it wasn’t a five-alarm fire…yet. 

But where could Doc be? 

To be continued...

[hirocimacruiser]

EP82 Toyota STARLET

[NEW model introduction]

With 3-part mesh grill

Evolving into "Super Spicy GT"!

Announced and released on May 9th

text: Yasuyuki Morino

There's a saying that seeing is believing, and the shock of the new Starlet GT's mask is certainly indicative of this.

Its appearance, consisting of four round projector lamps and a three-part mesh grille, is so striking that it could pass for a new compact car from BMW.

It would not be surprising if the moment you open this page you exclaim, "Wow, so this is a starlet!" or "Seriously? This is a minor!" and receive cold looks from those around you.

The previous GT was sporty enough, with a special grille and bumper, bonnet power bulge, and roof spoiler as standard equipment, but the new model's impact is on a whole different level.

For that reason alone, expectations are high for the evolution of the internals as well. However, the performance of the 1.3-liter high-mechanical twin-cam turbo remains unchanged at 135 horsepower/16.0 kgm (125 horsepower/15.50 kgm in L0 mode), and there are no changes to the chassis specifications.

You might be disappointed and think, "Oh, no!"

However, since the weight of the car remains the same at 860kg (MT), the power and torque weight ratio is 6.37kg/ps & 53.8kg/kgm. This is a figure that surpasses its big brother, the Corolla FX-GT, and rivals the Civic 3-door SiR-II (6.18kg/ps & 65.6kg/kgm), so there is no room for complaint. The chassis is also the same as the previous minor

55 tires are standard, and LSD and triangle performance rods are available as options. It's a suspension that can stand up to turbo power, so there's no problem. In other words, the looks have finally caught up with the extreme contents, making it a truly "super hot hatchback." For those who value cool over speed, here is the inside and outside of the GT.

The Gi version, which combines the same equipment and a naturally aspirated engine, is also available as before.

We won't allow March to run away with the lead!!

The normal type, centered on the Soleil, also had its headlights and grille redesigned at the same time, giving it a cuter look. This has made it possible to distinguish between the sports and normal types of characters.

The design of the car has become clearer, but to be honest, I was surprised at how much they made in a minor change after four years. They even changed the tailgate brace to achieve a cleaner rear view, so the cost was not cheap.

Having come this far, it is unlikely that the next-generation model will be released within a year or so. It can be thought of as a measure to extend the life of the model for another two years.

For that reason, the new model also appeals in terms of color, with four new body colors and new seat and trim materials being adopted. Improvements have also been made to some of the mechanisms, such as improved performance on low-mu roads for the 4WD and improved vibration resistance for the diesel engine.

Furthermore, the lineup and equipment have been strengthened with the introduction of the Soleil Extra Package and S Sports Selection, and air conditioning has been made standard on the Gi, S, etc. (however, the canvas top has been discontinued).

Moreover, the boasted low price remains unchanged. The Soleil Extra Package is priced at 974,000 yen (3-door AT), which is about 50,000 yen cheaper than the 1-liter March i Z-F with almost the same equipment!

PIC CAPTIONS

●The 4 round headlights and 3-part mesh grille create a GT look reminiscent of BMW compact cars.

●Let's take a look at the equipment of the GT. Upper left: No major changes to the instrument panel, which is based on gray and black. Upper right: The seats and door trim ornaments have been changed. The black base creates a Spartan image. Left: Optional 5.5JJ x 14 aluminum wheels. The standard is a new design full wheel cap.

●Left: 3-door with fog lamps embedded in the bumper

・Vehicle equipped with the Soleil Extra Package (photo on the right)

The instrument panel is equipped with one-touch power windows.

Right: Front and rear seats in subdued colors

[noble-atomics-railway]

3. Trust - @tornadoyoungiron 's Traintober list

<Prev | Next>

I love humanisations where they actually interact with their 'engine selves'. I think it makes the characters feel so much more grounded in their world. I've based the internal cab design off 'The Flying Scotsman' because there's loads of pictures of it's cab from when it was on display. The internals of Gordon and The Flying Scotsman must be somewhat similar as they're brothers.

This is the part of the BBC level period drama that I accidently made, waffle about it, and lineart under cut...

As this AU is set in 1959, it's all focused around period typical homophobia, and what it would be like to be a gay man in the 50's (technically Gordon is asexual, and Henry is the gay closeted man but that's besides the point here). This is based on a scene where Henry trusts Gordon to tell him about the fact that he's gay, because his past has caught up with him in the form of blackmail from the 'Diesel gang'. He's been on the run his whole life from who he is, and any evidence of it.

Gordon, on the other hand, being Ace, has found himself in a loveless marriage that he managed to escape during the Blitz when he ran away from his problems. Henry's and Gordon's past manage to tie themselves up together as the plot unfolds.

[maxiforcefl]

Boreable Vs. Honeable Connecting Rod (Piston Pin) Bushings

Delve into the intricacies of engine components with Maxiforce's Tech Tip on 'Boreable vs. Honeable Connecting Rod Piston Pin Bushings.' Uncover the differences between these crucial elements and understand their impact on engine performance and longevity. Dive deep into the world of engine engineering with Maxiforce's expert guidance.

[hatesaltrat]

So for those 12 cylinder custom hotrods is everything custom built or is it just an engine swap?

If you’re asking about The Blastolene, everything is hand made and custom fabricated. It is not a production vehicle. Michael Leeds built the one Jay Leno has with the Continental 12cyl and if memory serves me, it had 12 individual carburetors, 1 for each cylinder. My friend Art who runs a 12v92 Detroit diesel in a 1999 F250 body on the saltflats invited me to the annual 200 mph club bbq several years ago. Gale Banks, of Banks turbo notoriety, was hosting the event at his shop in SoCal (Gale couldn’t be bothered to attend his own party 🤬). But we got a great tour of his facilities and R&D labs and I got to see and touch the new motor they were firing fuel injection on for Mr Leno. At that point it should have been a fairly straight forward motor swap. But to answer your question, the Blastolene cars are hand made from the bottom up, but designed to use some off the shelf components. They are truly works of art and incredible to see in person. Interesting side note: Randy Grubb has/had a shop in Grants Pass, Or near Carl Heap’s shop. Carl Heap was friends with my friend Art, he owned and raced The Phoenix which started life as a 1948 International Harvester log truck. It was the world’s fastest “diesel truck” for a remarkable amount of time. Mr Heap and I talked on the phone about my project truck a few times and he sent me some parts with the promise to pay him back when we met at Bonneville. Sadly he died before I got the chance to meet him or pay him back for the parts.

For those interested here are some links and pictures of the vehicles.

http://blastolene.com/The_Special/index.htm

http://www.jointventureracetruck.com/about.html

The Joint Venture Freightliner race truck is owned by Mr Lemmons, he and my friend Art and Carl were all close friends. Mr Lemmons owns Lemmons Trucking in Longview Wa, his political signs at the shop are famous here on tumblr. It’s a full size semi with a 16v92 Detroit motor. The first number denotes quantity of cylinders in a V configuration and the second number tells you how many cubic inches each cylinder is. So 16 cylinders at 92ci each! Art built many of the components for his F250, Carl’s Phoenix, and the Joint Venture. I have been invited to tag along again this year with Art to try and get that F250 to pass the 300mph mark, I’m praying the weather works out for Speedweek this year and I don’t have work get in my way, it should be spectacular!

Ok, sorry for rambling, I know that’s way more info than you asked for but the 1 things all of these vehicles have in common is they’re all hand built by amazing people with vision and knowledge I can only wish to possess.

[scotianostra]

In Glasgow on September 4th 1962 tears were shed and emotions ran high as the last trams, which had served the city for 90 years, rolled through the streets for the final time.

An estimated 250,000 people took to the streets to bid farewell to Glasgow's last tram which rolled into the depot for the final time on this day 57 years ago.

It was an emotional day as the era of the "caurs" came to an end with one commentator claiming there was a impending sense of loss, of desolation in the air. Many of those gathered ducked down to place a penny on the tracks so it would be squashed by the approaching tram to leave a unique souvenir of the day.

A huge crowd watched the trams enter the Coplawhill Car Works, where they had been made and maintained by armies of workers for more than 90 years. There wasn't a dry eye at the depot.

Glasgow was the last city in the UK to retain its tram system, apart from Blackpool which kept a tram rolling on the seafront.

By 1947, there were more than 1,200 trams criss-crossing the city with the Glasgow pioneering the design of new, modern vehicles. In 1953, the decision was taken not to replace part of the ageing fleet with buses, this regarded as the beginning of the end for the service. The internal combustion engine was viewed as the future with motorbuses powered by diesel - as well as a growing train network - keeping the city moving.

There is a short video here about the trams demise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CjxHXZnTcM

[seat-safety-switch]

There comes a time in everyone's life when they are told to take a lot of zucchini. If it's happened to you in the past, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Hobby gardeners are somehow always surprised at the vast quantity of zucchini that one plant can produce, and cannot consume it all themselves. So they force it on everyone around them.

Some part of me can certainly empathize. Hobby-wise, I've gotten in over my head many times before. And we can all understand the basic human urge to push it, to see how much more we can make this year versus the last, to really show those other freaks in the garden club just who is best at producing large green tubes mostly filled with water.

Unfortunately, while I do enjoy the occasional recreational squash, I can't eat all the zucchini my neighbours offer me. Politely declining is right out, because then they start leaving it on my porch, or throwing it through my open kitchen window when they think I'm not looking. I'm afraid to find out what happens if I start pushing back on these vegetable-based intrusions on my personal space. So I try to make use of what I can, without seeming like the kind of person who could always use more.

This year, I came up with a great idea. Vegetable biodiesel. In case you're unfamiliar, you can squeeze the shit out of vegetables until they turn into oil. Then you chase that oil with some actual diesel fuel, and suddenly you have something that can run an internal combustion engine. Sounds great, right?

If you're the kind of person who reads a lot of books, you may suddenly detect a problem in my reasoning. Zucchini does not carry the reputation of an especially oily vegetable. And this is where the true genius comes in. What zucchini is, is heavy. All that water. If you're quick, you can swap out a bunch of vegetable oil on the grocery store loading dock with the equivalent weight of zucchinis.

Big Grocery won't notice until someone gets around to opening the box, and by then you'll be miles away, puffing your happily garden-sourced, renewable biodiesel in a Princess Auto toy jeep. Thanks, Ms. Maple. The best part is that, even if they figure out where it came from, the cops will never question her, because they know they'll be leaving with several hundred pounds of zucchini just for showing up at her house.

[catenary-chad]

TROPES VS ELECTRIC TRAINS IN MEDIA

(~5.5k words)

Oh no!  The blunt end of a Class 91!  If you don’t know what that is or what their infamous “parent” was, you will be very confused by this post.  This is a part 2 and will be very confusing without the context of PART 1 unless you are a serious electric train enthusiast.  There is just so much background info to discuss since so many people know so little about the topic.  

This post will go into stereotypes vs reality with electric trains, both within Starlight Express itself and in broader media and fanon, what the gap between these reveals, and what human parallels there are.  How an electric protagonist could look in Stex and why it’s especially fitting for a story about toy trains.  With a bonus section on what an actually villainous Electra could look like, without unfairly presenting electric trains.

STEREOTYPES VS REALITY

There is such a fascinating yet infuriating disconnect between media depictions of electric trains and their reality, and this is especially true of Starlight Express

It’s a repeated theme, endless romanticization of the filthy, inefficient, outmoded and rightfully deposed steam engine… oh and that juice jack over there.  Used as an insult in the Railway Series.  An afterthought at best and erased in favor of making everything (usually inaccurately) battery powered at worst in Thomas and Friends.  Often barely discussed in serious detail by train history documentaries.  Treated as both unattainable idealism and something old and tired that can be replaced by less proven “bionic duckweed” solutions like hydrogen and batteries.  

In doing research into how Electra would truly be, I kept finding this distinct cold and uncaring tone to how electric trains are discussed in English language media.  They’re presented as a soulless non-entity, detailed technical info is not easy to casually find, and comment sections are filled with wild misconceptions about them (or people admitting they don’t know anything).  So I’ll go over the big ones I see outside and inside this fandom, in fiction and nonfiction, and what the truth is.

*anything about being newfangled*

Electric trains predate widespread use of internal combustion engines.  Their practical use as streetcars (late 1880s) is roughly halfway between the practical use of steam locomotives (1830) and practical use of diesel traction (1930s).  They are older than electric toasters and most household appliances, because they predated the broader electrical grid in general.  “General Electric makes trains too?” is a hilarious statement the more you know because they made trains long before they made household appliances. Early electric trains are super fascinating design-wise because they’re the missing link between “typical” steam vs diesel engine design, especially in terms of transmission and wheel arrangements.

This bizarre three-phase AC German railcar held the overall rail speed record from the 1900s to early 1950s. Eat your heart out, perpetual 100 mph steam engine arguments.

“you like electric trains?  i bet you drive a Tesla and are a tech bro because you like that sci fi stuff”/ “electra is a vaporware fraud!”

I just can’t with this one.  This is “didn’t even skim wikipedia once” tier ignorant and thoughtless.  It’s on par with going “orcas are stupid mindless maneaters!  And also fish, which don’t have souls of course!”.  Except with dozens of people around you accepting this uncritically and parroting it, and orcas barely existing in mass media.  Who all won’t even skim wikipedia to see how offensively wrong they are.  It’s downright infuriating when it’s from people who clearly show at least some thought towards combustion trains, but that’s more of a railfan issue.  A lot of these things are obscure enough I don’t expect people to know them, but this is the one that really gets to me because it’s so surface-level.

The vaporware/scam thing just pisses me off.  Failed and cancelled electrification projects are usually just…. sad when you look at the reasons behind them.  They get axed due to short-sighted business decisions and budget cuts (often while money gets funneled towards roads).  And then you have the APT, done in by this exact mocking rhetoric after it finally got most of its technical flaws sorted out, after suffering from political and economic opposition for years.  Shaming anything new for having problems early on and equating it to a scam when it’s a century+ old form of transport promotes the kind of unfounded cynicism that in term promotes stagnation and regression.  Maybe that’s why this strikes a nerve with me so much.  It just stinks of what killed the APT, whose own mockery in Stex just makes me sad in hindsight knowing what became of it a few years later. 

Anyways, electric trains are up there with elevators and substations on the list of the least tech bro things there are.  Actual electric trains, even the battery kind, are the antithesis of novelty “gadgetbahns” or unproven tech.  They’re 150+ years old, WIDELY proven, robust technology and rail as an industry heavily skews towards conservative design, incremental improvement, bureaucracy, and not fixing things unless they’re broke.  They’re very much a “big government” thing and skew towards left-wing and collectivist leanings, the complete opposite of those techno-feudalist nutjobs.  Their fanbase and proponents are notably diverse and disproportionately LGBT.  Musk HATES trains in general and tried to derail high speed rail progress in California, it’s a mix of not wanting to be alongside the common folk and them having no need for his batteries or autos. On a conceptual level, Electra would make him spontaneously combust in disgust if their hands brushed. Electric trains are the embodiment of what Curtis Yarvin demonizes as “the Cathedral” and if you don’t know who or what that is, it’s a separate, horrible rabbit hole very relevant to the current situation in the US.  

Serious electric train fans tend to be into buses, elevators, maps, fans, general infrastructure/skyscrapers, and pre-WWII toy trains.  A number of them openly despise the AI realistic humanoid robot apocalypse brand of sci fi in favor of utilitarian “blue collar” takes like Runaway (1984) that make the killer robots Roombas with guns and autonomous construction equipment gone haywire. The grounded, realistic, often unintuitive clunkiness of heavy-duty practical machines.  They hate “gadgetbahns” and I think I’ve maybe seen one genuine maglev defender, there’s a weird sense of being technically conservative, but in a weirdly progressive way.  They just dream of having freight interurbans back.  There is often a sense of being a Silent Generation-era grandpa in a 30 year old’s body. 

idk man it’s just enraging when an uncharismatic issue gets wrongly stereotyped on such a wrong and outright offensive level.  So many people will draw from everything but actual electric trains for Electra.  It’s why I get pissed at the idea of making Electra a Musk figure to re-villainize them, because it’s just fundamentally wrong on all levels and electric trains have so little representation in English media.  Hell, the general public definitely knows more about lesbians and people will still rightfully call out the problems with Girlball. It’s such an aggravating, backwards, spectacularly ignorant depiction of something with so much to offer society.  

If you’re going to villainize Electra, at least do something remotely accurate. I’ll go into this more later, but basically, hypnotism and being French are blank checks.  If you want something DARK, nuanced, and bleak, Train Magneto, or Ganondorf.  

“Electric trains are all subways, commuter trains, or high speed rail and are “weak” vs diesel and steam engines”

Subways, commuter trains, and high speed rail are just the most visible applications that require electrification.  You can’t burn things in tunnels or you’ll kill people, EMUs are unbeatable at quick starting/stopping and basically required for the frequency suburban and subway trains require (see the GER Class A55 for an extreme example of steam tech trying to fill this niche, and comparisons between Caltrain’s old diesel locomotives vs new EMUs).  You need monstrous horsepower for high speed operation, which is impossible without being monstrously heavy (hard to accelerate quickly) unless you use the external power supply of overhead lines.  Power cars for high speed trains are 8,000+ at the low end, the highest for a diesel locomotive ever was 6,600 and it’s telling that the official speed record was the Class 43 HST at 148 mph (with some less confirmed accounts of others around the 160-170 range).  Turbine trains have gotten to the 170 mph mark, but those have never been particularly successful because turbines run best at constant speeds, and are better used in power plants.

But electric locomotives are also excellent for freight service, it's the third "F" along with "Fast" and "Frequent" cited as the reason to pick direct electric vs battery or hydrogen power. it’s just that highly electrified Western countries don’t have much rail freight and freight-dominated countries like the US and Mexico have almost no electrified freight lines.  With a change in gearing and weight, the monstrously high power electric locomotives are capable of is fantastic for heavy freight trains, especially in the mountains.  See the IORE line, Leshuttle Class 9s, Deseret Power, and for some wild historical examples, the Norfolk and Western, Virginian, and Great Northern electrics.  In steep areas, especially where there were tunnels, enormous electric locomotives filled the niche of the better known Big Boy or Y6Bs… but went pretty much forgotten due to lack of preservation.  Even more typical modern electric locomotives in Europe today are usually mixed-traffic and great for faster freight use (even the CC 40100 was intended for this in the 60s).  And all this isn’t even mentioning India or China, which have incredibly high HP freight electric locos but I don’t know as much about them.  

(And that’s partly why I’m so Mykalectra biased, he’s physically accurate!  Early diesel locomotives were relatively underpowered and Greaseball would be the lankier one if anything!)

*anything making electric trains rich and snooty/electra is spoiled and pampered*

One word objection: SUBWAYS

But really, it’s hard to consistently correlate any kind of traction with being rich/poor because there’s such wide extremes of both in the same countries.  Yes, the newest completed electrification projects in the US and UK have been in notably wealthy areas (San Jose, London) and there are more expensive high speed trains. But the vast majority are pedestrian, even run down inner-city trains. Many poorer countries in eastern Europe have extensive electric networks.  Even war-torn Ukraine has been rebuilding electrified lines.  Oddly enough, I’ve heard this misconception weaponized against Intercity in the 90s, claiming it was largely servicing rich business travelers when most people used it to visit friends and other casual travel.  

Basically, classism is a very solid theme to explore with talking trains but it doesn’t follow traction lines so let’s not demonize something that’s very much a “rising tide that raises all ships”.  Populations should ALL have clean and efficient travel and pitying the electric train for being penned in is fairer to its true state than this blanket statement.  

For the second part, see the US section on historically accurate Electra in the previous post.  An electric intercity mainline train in the US circa the 80s, would be running on a Northeast Corridor in absolutely atrocious shape post-Penn Central collapse.  It’s the reason there aren’t Nez Cassé engines running there today, X996 couldn’t handle the awful conditions.  And due to its limited budget, deferred maintenance is a major problem with Amtrak, not to dangerous degrees, but to the point where locomotives don’t last as long as equivalents elsewhere.  Even the “rich white guy train” Acelas are held together with DUCT TAPE (see photo proof) now at the ripe old age of 25 and are dropping out of service because they just can’t work anymore.  This depiction aggravates me because it covers up such a huge irl problem.  Admittedly, I don’t know how things are in the UK but the Class 91s are also facing relatively short lifespans (30ish years).  Intercity trains with lots of start/stop and acceleration like these is an intense, taxing job in general.  

“High maintenance and unreliable”

Couldn’t be further from the truth.  Electric trains have few moving parts and there’s inherently less to go wrong on them, especially the older and simpler you go.  There’s no diesel engine to contend with, which cuts down on a LOT vs them.  In France, where late-era steam engines were exceptionally good and had fewer mechanical breakdowns…. they still had 30% uptime due to maintenance requirements, electric ones had upwards of 90%.  The BR Class 91 (named Electra likely in reference to the character) became the most reliable engine in the network after its earlier issues were resolved.  

The majority of problems are caused by catenary infrastructure, which I’ve gone into earlier.  Properly designed, it’s a lot more weather-resiliant than roads and not relying on combustion has been a noted advantage of electric engines in extreme low temperatures (when designed for them).  

The CC 40100 was unusually unreliable by electric standards because it was a quad-voltage engine built before modern power electronics, ironically being pre-computer was its main flaw.  Semiconductor technology did so much to make AC-DC converters smaller and more reliable (and later, allowed practical use of lower maintenance AC motors).  While computer problems do exist on modern electric trains, it’s not any worse than diesel equivalents. 

The whole framing of “damn computers” and electric being a weak spooky magic thing vs strong “manly” combustion more broader understood by the masses is just objectively wrong with trains.  They’re based on robust old tech that’s been quietly humming away in power plants and elevators for decades.  People severely underestimate how beefy electrical equipment is in general because it’s not intuitive and such a “nerdy” thing not really presented accurately in media, and this becomes especially true of trains.

*just the mere idea of an electric train cheating in an uphill race or steam engines beating them by pure merit*

You know what I’m just going to put this article here.  You’ll have to machine translate it if you don’t know French.  

Or if you insist on something already in English, 

This is just one example from “When the Steam Railroads Electrified” about early lines now lost to time.  This book has example after example (with stats) of just how much electrifying improved timetables and performance.  Steep inclines were something electric trains were numerically amazing at even early on.  

I think it’s telling that the few people who’ve written serious, detailed accounts of the benefits of electrification have been incredibly well educated and will dump as many stats as possible.  They’re something that becomes more impressive the more you actually know about them because they’re so undersold by mass media.  Meanwhile steam engines get repeatedly whitewashed of their colossal faults and impracticality.  They’re an absolutely TERRIBLE choice for a character who’s supposed to be genuinely good at something because they were so numerically terrible vs all but the most inefficient and poorly made of early diesel engines.  I will give Greaseball a pass since there are sketchy but widespread claims early diesel manufacturers may have played dirty with marketing and testing vs steam, and him and Electra would have comparable enough top speeds that playing dirty makes sense between them. But steam vs electric was never much of a competition.  Infrastructure costs were the limiting factor in their spread.

“lol Electra is a bad boss”

Greaseball is associated with a railroad voted worst place to work for years.  Just look at r/railroading on reddit to get a taste for how awful UP is an employer (the other big US freight railroads are similar).

Steam engines lasted longest where labor regulations were weakest and wages were lowest due to their vastly higher labor requirements and dangerous, more unpleasant working conditions.  This reversing was a cause of their downfall in several countries. It’s not as direct an association as with Greaseball, but they’re decidedly more associated with an anti-worker era and conditions.

Meanwhile Electra is ambiguously associated with France or Amtrak.  France (and most of Europe) generally treats rail employees well.  Amtrak is considered a much better employer than the freight railroads.  All signs point towards being the BEST boss of the three.  Nevermind that electric trains are so heavily associated with left-leaning politics.

“Electra is uneducated”

Okay, this one I’ve never actually seen in the wild but saw someone complain about.  If you’ve actually seen this take please contact me privately, because this one is just mystifying.  “Out of touch”, socially clunky, or superficially kind of a bimbo, sure, but I’ve never seen this specific phrasing.

Yeah so this one is laughably wrong on an objective level.  Serious sources on electric trains are STUPID high quality and delightfully slop-free.  They’re often by people with an engineering background at minimum, but “30+ years of experience in the field”, having multiple degrees in history and education, or association with serious university presses are the norm, not the exception.  It’s an interest that has nothing to lose and everything to gain the more people know about it and attracts notably highly educated people.  

Electra’s also just incredibly “edgy nerd” coded in canon in general because wacky time signatures and clever electrical puns.  AC/DC is the smartest song in the musical by a long shot.  If any major character feels like they have a college degree it’s Electra. 

Though I’ll defend Electra embracing the bimbo aesthetic for weirdly serious reasons I’ll go into later.  But also, there’s been an uptick in reclaiming it in recent years and breaking the association with those things being a sign of unintelligence.  For an older and particularly extreme example: Britney Spear’s Guide to Semiconductor Physics

On top of all this, if anything benefits from ignorance, it’s the glamorization of steam power.  Which neatly ties into Evangelical hostility to education and anti-intellectualism, and how climate change denial is a major facet of that.  But this aspect of canon gets panned so universally I don’t feel the need to go that heavily into it.  

THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF ALL OF THIS

Again, this section isn’t to label you as a bad person.  It’s to raise how specifically and unintentionally interesting the implications of these things are and just how versatile the counternarrative of Electra’s reality would be.  They're just so ambiguously minority-coded and you can take it in so many different and specific ways.

“Why does Electra make such a big deal of being electric in AC/DC?”

Because they are unironically futuristic in the context as 70s-80s Amtrak and such a vanishingly small, oppressed minority in the US that’s been fighting an uphill battle against widespread stereotyping for years.  Look at how long this post is, can you imagine how insistent and exasperated you’d be trying to explain all this to people every waking moment?  Having your unique needs and strengths constantly ignored and subjugated while regressive romanticization props up the wildly unqualified? 

In the UK circa the 90s… it’s not as openly harsh an environment but they are still a huge step technologically and being electric is a defining trait and faces fluctuating political opposition.

With all this context and the struggling to nonexistant irl politics of widespread, persistent, rolling electrification, I just can’t view the song as terribly villainous.  

-Being falsely stereotyped as weak, delicate, and finicky because others don’t understand basic physical facts about you

Female Electra would work so well because this is just so on the nose.  There’s an element of Electra being depicted as wrongly “hysteric” vs actual electric trains that fits just as well.  This becomes even more compelling with how Greaseball embodies how “masculine” people frame diesel engines to be… despite being physically weaker, less rugged in some ways, and anything but isolationist (they’ve always worked in packs).  

-Being depicted as unstoppable and domineering, yet pathetic

Oh this is 1:1 with some antisemitic depictions of Jews, especially in the early 20th century. This can have some very ugly connotations. I’ll also point towards New York being the starting point and epicenter of electric heavy rail in the US and Lionel being started by a Jewish man

-Being treated as a new, alien threat despite being around for 100 years

This is why I think Electra being Asian can make so much sense, especially Chinese or Japanese-American, especially since those are prominent train-producing countries.  Once again, a nearly 1:1 parallel to people.

-being treated as more radical and unreasonable than they are in general

Multiple cultures have been stereotyped this way, ironically even ones that are very conservative and have major issues to it.  Here’s a video on this happening to the Romanichal in particular

This is also weaponized against black women in the US, Kamala Harris being a prominent example.

On a related note, while this post is intended to replace it with a broader and more international scope and more serious tone, see HERE for my previous post on how Electra’s framing near perfectly parallels the slander of the "dreaded libs"/“woke agenda” in the US.  It may be a controversial take of mine but I genuinely believe the story as given becomes stronger when framing is flipped and these economic associations of steam and electric power are put on full display

“haha look at Electra throwing a shitfit in No Comeback”

That song could be made so heartbreaking in the context being an engine trial of the time period.  Desperate to prove themself to avoid total annihilation in their last bastion, against a government that wants them dead.  More focused on the ascended stopgap propped up by Big Oil, plot armor and the triumph of cliche leads to their loss to someone who would never win legitimately, and the country falls back into the dark ages of rolling coal.  After all, second place may as well be last in an election.  

Well you’d be pissed too and run off to where you’re more wanted and not at the mercy of the Overpowered Steam Shunter Complex that’s only grown more widespread in the Thomas TV show.  Maybe the triumph of cliche in Anglophone train media was the real unbeatable rigged system all along. Already went into Electra running away to France in the last post.

-Electra being presented as superficial and frivolous for caring about appearances

Marketing, optics, and visual design are a HUGE thing in rail, especially passenger.  It’s a completely sincere thing to care about and even the coldest of technical professionals will admit that the “sparks effect” is a thing.  This is relevant to product design in general, see the NeoNurture situation as an example.  This subject is way too broad to go into here but the London Underground has a great design history.

Also the sheer number of UP OCs and general glamorization of that company with little mention of how awful they actually are is a giant case of “you are not immune to propaganda”and example of how powerful this stuff is.  For a more benign example, see how common milk and stock cars are despite being rarely used anymore- but they are popular as toys and in the media.  The number of circus vs carnival train OCs is also telling despite the two being so similar- circus trains are common in the media, carnival ones are not.  See Strates Shows for an irl example if curious

I think there’s an interesting thread of respectability politics with Electra, especially with how mundane and even dirty electric trains are seen as in the US.  The emphasis on “clean” in What Time Is It? is especially interesting, the “hygiene olympics” are thing with black women specifically and that era of Electra has always kind of read as as being deliberately overly “feminine” to avoid being seen as “masculine”.  There’s a number of ways to take that on the train front, there’s been passenger-oriented electric engines based on freight models that struggle to escape that image (GE E60), there’s also the thread of trying to look less “scary”… a word with very different connotations in each context. 

Early Amtrak was also maligned for “just slapping paint on old equipment” which I think has fascinating parallels to how intense some of the UK tour makeup got vs how rock bottom its budget was.  Slapping on a bit of bright makeup/paint to cheaply improve morale was also a thing during WWII.  

-the general thread of being pinned as unreliable and blowing out power stations

Infrastructure failures.  This stuff speaks more for infrastructure issues than failures of electric trains themselves.  The Metroliners had issues with this in the 60s, and old power stations struggling to supply enough energy for modern trains on modern schedules is a big issues.  We once again have the situation of blaming individuals for institutional failures.

Also there’s a fantastic disability metaphor to be had with electrification. It’s easy to paint being direct electric-only as one in a country with poor infrastructure and very limited electrified lines.  They’re totally bricked outside of those areas It parallels disability accessibility in a lot of ways.  With the fascinating caveat that some countries like Switzerland and India are 100% electrified and with that accommodation omnipresent, being electric-only isn’t even “a disability” anymore, it’s just the norm. 

-The general projection of notable faults of steam (and diesel engines) onto Electra

“Every accusation is a confession”

Seriously, exploding, the hill thing, high maintenance- half the stuff they stick on Electra are notably issues with STEAM ENGINES. Eh I can’t discuss this further without going full character hate, which I've been trying to avoid here. See “why steam oppression fails” in my pinned post for my bizarrely deep reasons for why Rusty would be an amazing hateable villain.

TOY TRAINS AND THEIR CULTURAL IMPACT

A lot of these themes are complex and heavy but the setup of a kid playing with trains is a much lighter, but still effective way of approaching them. Control, representing the government/other authorities, has a bunch of both inherited and new toy trains and tracks. But uses their allowance to buy other toys vs replacing or maintaining tracks for the trains, then blames them for failing and derailing. Current attitudes and interest in various rolling stock are reflected in the kid's enthusiasm (or lack of) for their toy counterparts. Toy trains are a surprisingly great microcosm of the real thing in general. 

The line between toy/model and “real” electric trains is surprisingly thin, especially early on.  The very first electric train WAS a small model, and early human-scale demonstrators used batteries connected to the rails for power… a setup used pre-home electrification for early toy trains.  The Volks Electric Railway in Brighton originally used a two-rail setup identical to that of many modern toy trains, though this never achieved widespread use in rail.  The third rail setup used by the likes of Lionel isn’t visually accurate to the third rails on commuter trains and subways, but it works similarly and has similar problems with voltage drop.  You also have issues with different brands and models running off AC vs DC power, a problem that exists with real trains in Europe, Japan, the northeastern US, and even South Africa. And while it’s very different, electrification in both toy and practical forms requires routine maintenance to function.

Toys are an understated pipeline to legitimate interest in actual electric trains, they’re probably the most prominent mass media depiction of them in the Anglosphere.  I’ve seen multiple rail professionals and many serious electric railfans talk about models sparking interest in the real deal since you have to learn a lot of the same basic electrical things to understand them.  And there’s several now-extinct electric classes that remain in public consciousness because they were popular toys, see the New Haven EP-5.  That same phenomenon happens elsewhere too, the LBSCR E2 being by far the most infamous.  Pre-WWII  toys have a particularly strong association since diesel power wasn’t established yet and you had far more electric prototypes depicted.  Intrigue over an unidentifiable heirloom train that ended up being a New York Central S-motor or Milwaukee Road Bipolar opens a world many wouldn’t know about otherwise.  

(3,4, and 6 are all electric locmotives, Bipolar, ambiguous boxcab, and S-Motor respectively)

Outside of token GG1s and Amtrak models, it’s hard to find many historic American electric trains in model form unless custom made or bought as expensive artisan brass models.  Those pre-WWII toys are often the most accessible option.  Exposure to model trains definitely impacts people’s views of them, just see how many Europeans consider UP the singular American railroad due to their heavy modelling presence.  Companies used to sponsor toys based on their trains as advertising and convenient PR since cultural relevance puts them in the public conscious.  

And when the options are steam, diesel, and a token GG1, it perpetuates this limited view and interest in electrification.  Look at continental European brands and you’ll find a lot more, the CC 40100 being one of the popular ones, and the Swiss Crocodile being Märklin’s mascot…. people thought the Lego version of that engine was fictional on reddit, a misconception that also happened with old Lionels and is indicative of how widespread ignorance is.  

In short, a story about toy trains is perfect for both working as a microcosm of larger electric rail infrastructure problems, and for addressing just how unrepresented and forgotten electric trains actually are vs steam and even diesel.  You don’t really see people disappointed by model steam trains, you’re more likely to see them confused or let down by unfamiliar electric ones.  Lionel 520 was a great real life example, it had an obscure basis and confused kids and was a flop (but later developed a cult following for how weird yet functional it was)

SO WHAT DOES THIS LEAVE YOU WITH?

Some surprisingly popular options

Michael Jackson and Prince work great as character basis/inspiration and are a perfect mix of superficially fun but capable of having so much depth.  I’ve got a post on that here

Already talked about Grace Jones briefly, moving to France where she was more accepted and successful.  I’ve seen an uptick in people clamoring for a more genderblind Electra and I’ve certainly given you a ton of ammo here on why female Electra could work so well.  Tbh there’s a lot of interesting androgynous black celebrities to work off of in general.

Say what you will about the 2013 tour videos but for how superficial some find that take on the character, I think it’s surprisingly true to life and easy to give depth to

And then we already have a giant rotating bridge and documented history of clunky track design/conditions and tech issues hurting people.  Going all in on the infrastructure route really works with the stage setup

I’ve got multiple clashing personal takes on how I’d approach protag Electra, with varying shades of sacrilege.  I think the most agreeable one would be McCoy becomes the out of touch, high maintenance, but relatively neutral celeb, “OLC Belle but a GG1 engine” becomes Electra’s  parental figure… and Greaseball is basically unchanged.  Electra is a bitch and kind of a troll and in a weird way akin to a more optimistic OLC Rusty.  Wins due to being strategic and versatile and capable of handling crappy track conditions.  See here for more because it's long.

And if you’ve lasted this long and want a “hell has frozen over” option from me, I actually think OLC Rusty is largely fine as a character and has some traits that have aged well (incel doomer tendencies).  My problem with him purely comes from the steam engine aspect.  Making him an electric boxcab fits his attempted aim SO much better and brings attention to an actually overlooked aspect of train history, not to mention that some ridiculously antiquated electric trains have quietly run on backwater lines in the Americas, decades after the last non-tourist steam ones.  See HERE for more on this.  

BONUS: ACCURATELY VILLAINIZING ELECTRA

I can’t understate how much the hypnosis and “being French” parts are blank checks.  Multi-Unit control has been a major advantage of electric trains since their first practical use in the 1880s, and that’s more or less electrical mind control.  The CC 40100 Electra’s helmet was based on was a genuine symbol of French intrusion via rail, particularly in Germany.  There was at least some intent to run it into England via the Channel Tunnel too.  And to this day, companies associated with the French state rail network have massive global influence and reach… to varying reception.  Look into Keolis. 

Those are campy, lighter-hearted options, but for something darker and bleaker: train Magneto.  Or Ganondorf .  Because that’s how Electra starts to look with historical context in the US if you insist on making them a conqueror.  Nearly wiped out, forgotten, and distinctly dehumanized, yet assured of their superiority because yeah, that’s how it is numbers-wise.  Oh this gets complicated and easily problematic very fast, but it’s a lot more accurate and compelling than completely mischaracterizing poorly understood technology. Also, just imagine No Comeback in 23/16.

(Though a huge gap in this is that Japan, Germany, and France have vastly better preservation scenes and opportunities even on electrified mainlines.  In turn, even this interpretation smacks of “we can’t let minorities have rights, what if they treat us how we treated them?”)

tbh I'll probably do a separate post on "actual bad things about electric trains to villainize outside of Stex" because PCBs are a big one, but were banned by the 80s... and the CC 40100 has a gas-cooled transformer anyways.... but then sulfur hexafluoride is a terrible greenhouse gas with its own issues

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Pretty much the same list as the last post but if you want to see them again:

I can’t recommend Clive Lamming enough. Even machine translated.  Fanciful style, wonderful at characterizing things and analyzing cultural impact while staying technical yet approachable.

Railnatter is a great source for UK rail politics and nuanced discussion of technology and policy

ocs4rail.com - this is long and can get very technical but free, modern, high-quality book on rail electrication, focused on the UK.  

Banks Rail/ Robo Rail on youtube is great for very detailed but beginner friendly discussion of US rail politics

I have a playlist HERE of miscellaneous good electric train videos/podcasts

It’s a lot easier to find background on human politics discussed here, but The Cynical Historian on youtube has good videos on most of the topics relevant to here

[whirligig-girl]

what's Guz's favorite train engine? does she have a least favorite?

Guz will never pass up an opportunity to talk about trains, unless it results in missing an opportunity to talk about rockets.

What have you done.

take a wild guess, haha. I built two large scale models of these and I have a couple of them in 1:80 scale too. I really like these Slaibsgloth Coal Mine steam engines because even though they're first generation steam (i.e., no electronics, harder maintenance, less efficient), they lasted right up until like, the last couple of years. Heck, the last one to be built was built the same year warp drive was invented, but the earliest one, almost an identical design, dates back to like 2310! But I can't really pick a favorite. I love steam engines, especially advanced steam engines, because they're what the branch line i grew up near mostly had, since our region of Southern Gurfluint didn't get a lot of priority for modern transit. There's the steam commuter trains--they have a covered boiler and engine set in the middle and cars on either side, with driving cabs at the ends--they look kinda goofy and I wish they showed their moving parts better, but I'm really nostalgic for them. But generally I prefer mixed traffic and freight engines, just because they're big and strong and cool looking. I never got to ride on an advanced steam express train. Those were really before my time, and most of those engines ended up withdrawn or in branchline service doing a third of their top speed. It would have been incredible to see a pair of engines like the Earlybird flying down the line at top speed. What's that in Federation units... 270 kph? Something like that. In a steam locomotive. If I recall correctly it's the fastest railway steam engines on any known planet. Earlybirds were built to replace the gas turbine locomotives running on the Slickline, one of Mellanus' early high speed railways, so they had to come close to matching their pace. I know very well that fossil fuels are bad for Mellanus. The last hot half omicycle had record highs, and some of the climatology papers had scary phrases like "runaway greenhouse effect" in them. So I guess I'm glad we're not running coal burners anymore and oil burners--Internal combustion and steam alike--are being phased out. But they have so much more life and character to them than the electric locomotives. Granted, that's really only the kind of thing that'd be appreciated by someone who foams up over trains like I do. In general, machines that have "character" are not... the most reliable. I'm not sure how I'd decide on a "worst" or "least favorite" locomotive. Like I said, I don't love electric locos aesthetically, but they're good engines doing good work. I love first generation steam engines, i love diesel engines, I love advanced steam engines... I... I have to be honest. I know this is kind of mean, given that most locomotives on most planets are... but I kinda don't like easy-types. You know, unarticulated steam locomotives. They just don't look like real engines to me. Heck, nearly half of steam locomotives on Mellanus were easies, but to me they just look half-baked and unbalanced. All that adhesive weight from the tender is going to waste, and it looks like it barely has enough power to move. There's definitely some easy-types that look handsome, and I feel like I can accept it when it's an alien train more than if it's from my own world, but, I just really like when a pair of engines is, you know, a pair of engines. I mean what, would you just call an easy-type an "engine?" That'd be like having a single "pant" or a single "binocular." I... I dunno. As I write this I'm already kinda coming around on them. I'm looking up some pictures of mellanoid easy types and they're really growing on me. So i guess my least favorites are electrics, and even that's still got a huge asterisk. I just love trains!